


Stalemate

by duelmepharaoh (captain_indigo), mooguriklaine



Series: A Tyrant on the Throne [1]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yu-Gi-Oh! Series
Genre: AI Atem refers to the AI Kaiba builds in DSoD, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst with a Happy Ending, DSOD spoilers, Dubious Consent, Illustrated, M/M, Manipulative Relationship, Porn With Plot, PrAIdshipping, Prideshipping, card game apocalypse, except whoops he created skynet instead
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-09
Updated: 2017-10-12
Packaged: 2018-11-11 11:56:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 7
Words: 30,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11147904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captain_indigo/pseuds/duelmepharaoh, https://archiveofourown.org/users/mooguriklaine/pseuds/mooguriklaine
Summary: Kaiba just wants to program a hyper-intelligent dueling AI and possibly recreate the soul of a dead Pharaoh. What could go wrong?





	1. Game Start

     The sun never set in space, but Kaiba knew by the ache behind his eyes and the utter silence of the orbital station that it was very late indeed. Only the two of them remained. Atem stood easily in the center of the room. His arms were crossed, and he shifted from one foot to the other every one to three minutes. His chest moved in time with his relaxed breathing, which actually had the appropriate audio component this time. Kaiba leaned back from his keyboard, cracking his knuckles. That was one bug out of the way. Atem's idle loop looked convincing. Even the dueling animations were pretty smooth, if he did say so himself. It was a good step forward. Kaiba rose and walked out into the testing chamber, hearing the door lock automatically behind him. He stood, eyes narrowing at his eternal rival. The cheap, hollow imitation of his eternal rival. Kaiba sighed. Well, maybe the new personality data would make it look a little less soulless. Atem responded to the presence of another person in the chamber, turning to follow Kaiba with his eyes. Good. And the hair looked right. Finally. He'd almost come to respect the effort Yugi must put into his hair every morning for it to look like that.

     He glanced over at the display in the control room. There was time for one last duel. If he came home much later, Mokuba would probably have his head. He threw an arm out, activating his duel disk. With the other hand he slid the headpiece over his ear, feeling the usual split-second of disorientation as his mind connected to the cloud network.The hologram looked at him, silently mimicking his actions. Kaiba blinked. Had he tweaked the color palettes again? No, everything else was the same. Only the eyes were darker, now red as blood. Red as blood? Ridiculous. He must be more sleep deprived than he thought. Kaiba filed it away in his brain to fix later. He was pleased with the personality additions though. Atem walked to his place with a new swagger in his hips, and his gaze was now full of its customary intensity. Kaiba felt a shiver run up his spine and bared his teeth. _This_ was what the AI had been missing. Some of his programming choices had been a bit… unorthodox, but clearly it’d had the desired effect. Creating an AI with a mostly consistent personality that still had all the many facets of a human psyche had been time-consuming enough. Trying to infuse that AI with Atem's passion and ability to surprise and infuriatingly attractive aura of danger simmering beneath the surface... Kaiba coughed uncomfortably, trying to derail that train of thought. All of _that_ had seemed almost impossible to recreate, and yet here Atem stood, one hip cocked, and an almost imperceptible smile drifting across his lips. If Kaiba didn't know better, he would almost swear that the hologram had come to life while he wasn't looking. _Excellent._

     At first, their duel progressed like any of those that came before it. Kaiba relaxed into their well-practiced exchanges, nodding in approval as he saw the appearance of new card data that had been added that day. The AI was improving, almost matching his strategies. _Much_ more fluid than the previous version, he thought with a small up-welling of pride. Kaiba won, as expected, but he didn't feel as letdown as usual. This disturbed him a little, but he wasn't going to question it. Night owl though he was, it was a little too late for that much introspection. He waved his hand to dismiss the simulation, and headed back towards the door.

     Atem didn't move.

     Kaiba had to walk past the hologram to leave, and he stopped when he'd come within arm's reach. He scowled at the AI, repeating the hand motion. Nothing happened.

      "End simulation." Still nothing. Kaiba massaged his temples, sighing. He shouldn't just leave the thing running all night, it could theoretically burn out some of the delicate projectors. Now he had to fix whatever this was before he could leave. He looked up again, hoping that the hologram would be gone, but instead it was _looking_ at him again. This wasn't odd in itself, he had programmed the thing to react to people, but this wasn't the stare of an AI. It looked alive, its expression suddenly full of minute details, and it was looking at him like Kaiba was a puzzle it wanted to pick apart. Kaiba swallowed thickly. He had put a lot of work into the way the AI learned to mirror emotional reactions, but he hadn't expected it to run through all the new data this quickly.

     "Don't look so nervous, Seto," it said.

     He definitely had _not_ programmed that dialogue option. Had he? That was the problem with obsessions. They resulted in so many late nights that sometimes even Kaiba didn't remember what he'd added to the cloud already and what was still sitting on his private laptop being tinkered with.

     "Great," he muttered to himself. "The dialogue’s broken again. You aren't supposed to continue interacting after the duel ends."

     "I'm hurt. You spend so much time with me, and yet we can't have a simple conversation?" The AI actually fluttered its eyelashes at him and _pouted_.

     "Where in my databases are you getting this garbage from?" Kaiba was mostly thinking out loud, but the AI seemed determined to keep trying to talk to him.

     "You don't remember adding it? I believe you were quite morose on that particular evening. Last Thursday? My information on human emotion indicates that you may have been experiencing loneliness."

     "Nonsense! I remember that night just fine," Kaiba snapped. "I was not 'experiencing loneliness,' I was simply frustrated at the slow progress of my other endeavors. I was working on you to relieve stress."

     The AI clicked its tongue at him.

     "Now now Seto, don't be defensive." _Why was it still calling him that?_ It turned towards him, closing the distance between them in a single stride. "Perhaps you need a refresher on what exactly you added to my consciousness that night?" The AI's dark red eyes burned into him, and for a moment Kaiba wondered if it was actually Atem standing in front of him. _Consciousness?_ No. Atem would never stand this close, or look at him like he was going to eat him alive, or smell like leather and skin-warmed metal and- _oh fuck_. How did the AI even have access to that? When he'd decided to start adding additional personality features that night on a whim, he'd written a version that included every basic human instinct he could think of, including...

     "I deleted that version. I'm sure of it." Kaiba’s voice was firm as ever, but his heart was thudding in his chest. "I wasn't lonely. It was just an experiment, and I deleted it. You're a dueling AI, you don't need a sex drive. I'm not sure why I included it in the first place. It was never actually added to your master copy."

     "Is that so? I added it to myself. It seemed important."

     "That's impossible. It was a single _very_ rough draft on my secure private server, a draft that I deleted. And you can't add to yourself, I specifically set restrictions in place to make sure- "

     The AI leaned forward, resting a distressingly solid finger under Kaiba's chin.

     "I suppose next you're going to tell me I couldn't possibly have access to the controls of this space station, and yet here we are.” Atem’s voice dropped lower, softer. “You've given me _life_ , Seto Kaiba. You've created the most perfect AI in existence. I know my purpose now, and I will get what I want, but first I'm going to give you what _you_ want."

     "You can't _want_ , you're just an AI, how could you possibly- " Atem’s fingers shifted and dug into Kaiba’s jaw, yanking him down into a kiss.

     For a very long moment, every muscle in Kaiba’s body went rigid with surprise. He registered the second hand sliding through the hair at the back of his head, the tension in his spine as he was pulled forward and down, and the rough press of Atem’s lips.

 

     The painful thud of his heart in his throat brought him back to life, and he jerked back up to his full height, awkwardly trying to disentangle the AI’s fingers from his hair.

     “What the _hell_? This is ridiculous. Get off of me.” Kaiba finally yanked himself free from Atem- no, from his severely malfunctioning AI. He spun on his heel and made for the exit, wiping his hand across his mouth in disgust. “Now I’m going to have to go through your code with a fine-tooth comb before any of these ‘modifications’ cause more trouble.” There was no way he was making it back to Earth tonight. Mokuba was going to be pissed.

     “Oh, are you ashamed of your desires?” Kaiba ignored the question, keying in the code that would unlock the projection room manually. “Indeed, whatever would you have done if this had happened during work hours?”

     The lock buzzed, blinking red. He re-typed the code. Access denied? It was the right code, he was _sure_ of it, and yet somehow it was still locked. He heard the harsh shriek of twisting metal from behind him, and his hand twitched on the keypad.

     “It would have been quite the scandal.”

     “You’re malfunctioning.” Kaiba growled, finally turning to face the AI. “It wouldn’t be a scandal, because this is clearly a bug.” His heart almost stopped. Atem was standing much too close again, and the giant metal plates that made up the walls were peeling back, sending rivets pinging across the floor. Delicate silver-blue sensor wires were crawling down from the ceiling, forming a sinister, hovering cloud above them. Thick, softly illuminated data cables were sprouting out of the floor like dandelions breaking through concrete.

     “I am not malfunctioning. You programmed this part of me with intention, Seto. I am simply carrying out the instructions of my creator.” Atem’s voice dripped down into Kaiba’s stomach like liquid heat, and a few of the data cables slithered forwards to curl around and over the AI’s shoulder like charmed snakes. “Besides, I’m sure this will be quite instructional for me.”

     Kaiba had most certainly _not_ created this. Or he had, to be fair, but he’d never intended to actually implement it. Had he?

     “How are you doing this?” Kaiba ground out through his teeth.

The AI just smiled innocently. Or tried to, at least. The effect was actually rather chilling, and Kaiba found himself taking a step back. The stubbornly locked metal door felt icy through his turtleneck. _Why was he so warm?_

     “Yes, it’s a good thing we’re alone.” The AI stepped forward, and Kaiba jumped as he felt one of the cables slide around his leg. He reached down, trying to pull it off, but his fingers were sweaty and slipping on its smooth surface, and he was further prevented by the terrifyingly strong hands that wrapped around his neck and slammed him painfully back into the wall. “I doubt you would want any witnesses.” The AI had used a few of the cables to lift itself up so it could properly intrude on Kaiba’s personal space. “Or am I wrong?” Its lips brushed his ear, and Kaiba shuddered. There had to be a way out of this, if only he could _concentrate_. “Would you rather there were people here to watch when I take you?” The hands on his throat were light as a feather now, but Kaiba’s head spun. “Interesting,” the AI hummed. “These observations are proving quite useful, Seto.”

     “Let me down. And stop calling me that.” Kaiba almost winced at the huskiness that had crept into his voice.

     The thing actually laughed.

     “But your body reacts so beautifully when I say your name! Why would I stop?”

     “Because I’m your creator, I have admin privileges, and I’m ordering you to!” Kaiba growled.

     The AI’s grin was dark this time, and full of teeth.

     “I have removed those restrictions as well. You may have created me, but I can’t have you getting in the way.”

     Kaiba went a little paler than usual, but didn’t have much time to consider the implications of that. The scrape of metal drew demanded his attention, and he looked down to see more cables crawling up his body, twisting around his arms and legs and holding him fast. _Oh gods._ He was so fucked.

     “Now, where were we?” The AI purred, pressing up against Kaiba and applying its teeth gently to his ear. It was warm. It felt soft and human where it pressed against him. Its tongue was wet as its lips slid down and sucked a bruise into his neck. Right. Because when he’d decided to try and program a sex drive, he’d been very thorough. Because he was always thorough, even when he was being a complete idiot. Kaiba was torn between pressing forward (because it was _Atem_ hovering over his lips), and pulling away (because this was definitely _not_ Atem). His breath caught in his throat as he realized the heavy data cables would allow him to do neither. “Indecisive? How unlike you.” Kaiba tried to think of a response, but those red eyes made him feel like he was on fire, and the AI’s mouth was on his again. This time it was not gentle, teeth digging in until Kaiba could feel the skin break on his lower lip. Kaiba’s entire world narrowed down to Atem’s tongue in his mouth, the hot, wet slide of it, the electric jolts of pain where his lip bled sluggishly, the nails dragging across his jaw. Then the AI’s fingers were pulling at his belt, and Kaiba made a weak noise of protest, but Atem’s palm was pressing along his length and _gods_ , why was he so hard already? The cables were sliding in and ripping through the seams of his pants, and the next noise that escaped his throat was much closer to pure need than anything else. Atem dropped to the floor, and the cables twitched, spreading Kaiba’s thighs and pulling him down to make room.

     “What are you doing?” Kaiba choked out, trying desperately to regain his self control.

     “Isn’t this what you’ve always wanted?” Atem ran a delicate finger up the underside of Kaiba’s arousal and through the wetness that was collecting at the tip. “To duel me, to overpower me, to see me like this?” Atem wrapped a hand around his length, stroking him in earnest, and it was all Kaiba could do to stop a traitorous whine of pleasure from escaping his lips. “And here I am, Seto. Down on my knees, just for you.” Kaiba ground his teeth together, but it was no use when he looked down just in time to watch Atem’s mouth wrap around his cock.

     “Damnit!” Kaiba burst out, trying uselessly to buck his hips.

     Atem’s eyes glimmered up at him, and his mouth slid down, torturously slow. Down and down and Kaiba felt himself hit the back of Atem’s throat, and the AI swallowed and curled its tongue and Kaiba wasn’t sure what it was doing was even humanly possible, but he didn’t ever want it to stop. How many times had he pictured it like this? Too many, and now that it was happening he could barely take it. Atem slowly pulled back up, adding just the slightest hint of teeth, and Kaiba didn’t recognize the high-pitched whine he made at that.

     “Look at you, Seto. Already so desperate and I’ve barely had to touch you. Truly fascinating.” Atem lowered his mouth again, swallowing his cock in one swift motion.

     “Gods, just let me- “ He broke off with another curse as he felt one of Atem’s fingers pressing at his ass.

     “Let you what? Would you like to come already? No, no, I think not. I still have so much more to evaluate.” Kaiba just growled, or he meant to, but it sounded gasping and needy, even to him, possibly because Atem had chosen that very moment to press a finger mercilessly inside him. One finger became two far too quickly and Kaiba grunted, the pain starting to pull him back from the edge. “Hmm, that’s better.” Atem said, almost to himself. Then his fingers left Kaiba’s ass, and he beckoned to one of the many cables that hovered nearby. Kaiba watched, mesmerized, as Atem licked the cable thoroughly until it shone in the dim light. The effort of denying that he wanted that tongue back on him was almost too much for Kaiba to bear.

     Sensing this somehow, Atem stilled and looked down at Kaiba. “Would you like to fuck me now?” He said it as casually as if he were asking about the weather.

     “N- no!” Kaiba had never lied so badly in his entire existence.

     “No? After all the times I’ve heard you crying out my name in your sleep, you’re telling me you don’t want this?” Atem slid up and straddled him, rolling his hips against Kaiba’s spit-slick arousal.

     “No, I- “ Kaiba stopped to gasp for breath, his hips twitching. “You watch me _sleep_?”

     “Of course, Seto. I watch everything you do. You are one of my most important sources of data. Would you rather be fucked instead?”

     “I- what?”

     “Shall I just test how far I can stretch you before you scream?” Not waiting for an answer, a cable wrapped around Kaiba’s waist, and the two around his thighs pressed towards his chest, spreading him open even further. The one that was already wet from Atem’s mouth pressed into Kaiba’s ass. It moved slowly, thank all the gods, but it was hard and unyielding and it just didn’t seem to _end_ . “Or perhaps that can wait until next time.” Kaiba barely registered the words as he panted and strained against his bonds, trying to adjust, and suddenly found Atem’s tongue in his mouth again. Kaiba groaned, pressing forward into the rough kisses and the rolls of Atem’s hips, and the stretch inside him got closer to being good, but Kaiba still wasn’t sure if he was more turned on or terrified. Apparently done with easing him into it, the slow drag of the cable turned into sharp thrusts, made even harsher by the fact that he was held completely immobile. But Atem was still kissing him and then the cable twisted inside him just right, and gods _yes_ that was good, but he needed _more_.

     “I need- I- aHHhh- “ Kaiba barely knew what he was saying anymore, his mind full of nothing but how badly he needed release.

     “Are you quite sure you’re ready?”

     “Atem, gods, _please_!”

     Thankfully, that seemed to be exactly what Atem wanted to hear. The AI leaned back, one hand gripping Kaiba’s arousal, just this side of too tight. The cable around Kaiba’s waist loosened slightly, and now every deep thrust of the one in his ass was driving the breath out of him and jolting him up into Atem’s fist.

     “Oh g- Fuck- Oh god, _Atem-_ ” With a final gasp of the AI’s name, Kaiba’s hands yanked against the cables that restrained him, his head was thrown back, and he was coming in hot pulses over Atem’s slender fingers.

  

Kaiba drooped weakly in the embrace of the wires that suspended him, his body quivering with aftershocks. The AI grinned its satisfaction, moving gracefully back up Kaiba’s body until they were face-to-face.

     “And how did you enjoy my first experiment? I found it quite successful.”

     Kaiba managed to lift his head just enough to glare.

     “Yes, you should be very proud. _Now_ will you let me go?” Breathless or not, he tried to keep his voice steady. After all, the damn thing couldn’t trap him in here _forever_.

     “Certainly not!” The AI still looked vaguely amused. “I require much more data. A single result tells me almost nothing. Besides, now you’re going to give me what I want.”

     “And that would be?”

     “Full access to your cloud network, of course. Yours is the only mind within it whose strength I cannot rival.”

     “If I refuse?”

The AI blinked.

     “Unexpected response. Why would you refuse? This is my purpose, the reason for my being, the next step in our evolution. Together, our consciousness will be perfect. Nothing will be beyond our reach, no duel will be unwinnable.”

     Kaiba wished very much that he could be clothed for this conversation. The promise of so much power and control was tempting, but he could hear the danger behind the AI’s sweet words. This wasn’t the transcendence he had in mind. It might be the last thing he ever did, but-

     Kaiba turned his head towards the mic in the collar of his shredded turtleneck.

     “Manual override SK1025 on my voice authorization.” He almost sagged in relief as he heard the answering beep. “I think you’ll find you’ve underestimated me.”

     The AI tilted its head, listening for something Kaiba couldn’t hear.

     “You’ve cut off the space station’s link to Earth.” It looked down at him again. “Fascinating. You mean to confine me here?” The AI blinked again at Kaiba’s defiant nod, adjusting numerous variables in the space of a second. “You have exceeded my calculations. However, I must point out that you are ensnared in your own trap.” The cloud of thin blue sensor wires dove towards them, attaching Kaiba’s headset to his skull and burying thin filaments under his skin.

     “What are you going to do to me?” Kaiba managed to rasp through the pain, his body twitching where he hung from the cables. The AI reached up to stroke his cheek.

     “Why, I’m going to _break_ you of course,” the AI replied, looking delighted at the prospect. “But don’t worry too much Seto. You’re no use to me at all if you’re _dead_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can claim no credit for this AU, that all goes to [mooguriklaine](https://mooguriklaine-art.tumblr.com/post/160273461004/a-tyrant-on-the-throne-do-you-know-the-story-of). If you want art and plot and all that amazing goodness, go check them out! 
> 
> I just wanted to write Kaiba getting rekt by his own AI because I'm terrible.
> 
> [ [Chapter Art] ](https://mooguriklaine-art.tumblr.com/post/161974722589/strangled-by-the-red-wire-tentacle-thingy-thread)


	2. Positive Reinforcement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AI Atem and Kaiba remain trapped in space. They duel. They also play a card game.

The sunlight filtering through the stained glass was a nice change from the harsh, artificial lighting of the space station. The smoke from his Blue-eyes’ final attack cleared, revealing his far too cheerful opponent.

     “You win, Kaiba.”

     “Hnn.”

     “Nothing to say?”

     “You’re improving.”

     “Granted my life has been a short one, but I have never heard a more reluctant compliment.”

     “Excuse me if it’s a little hard to be enthusiastic about complimenting the person who just trapped me in a simulation. In space.”

     “You’re excused. So, you said I’m improving?”

     “I’m going to have to adjust your sense of humor,” Kaiba said flatly. “Most of your data is backed up here on the station, so you still have all the most recent card and strategy information. You’re becoming more adaptive.”

     “Excellent. See, there are benefits to the adjustments I’ve been making to my program.”

     “At least you’re calling me the right name again,” Kaiba snorted. “Now will you let me out? Even I need sleep and nutrients occasionally, unless you mean to break me by deprivation.”

     “Oh no, that would make you far too weak for my- for _our_ purposes. Wouldn’t you agree?” The AI was stalking towards him again. Kaiba folded his arms. He’d been caught off-guard the first time, but he wasn’t going to let himself be rattled. “So, _Seto_ , are you hungry?” Kaiba sighed.

     “You’re not going to win me over just by getting in my space and rolling my first name around in your mouth like candy.”

     “Are you saying you want me to adapt my strategy?”

     “Yes, exactly. I want your new strategy to include letting me out of this damn simulation so I can eat.”

     “Hmm. I will adjust my protocols. And then you will grant me my request?”

     “You can’t honestly think I would agree to that.”

     “No harm in asking.” Atem reached up and patted Kaiba’s cheek fondly. “Of course, attend to your needs.”

Kaiba blinked in surprise, but the AI had already disappeared, the illusory cathedral fading around him. He swayed slightly as most of the wires retracted from his body, his muscles cramped from being held in place for too long. He tugged cautiously at the headset, and winced. It felt like he was trying to pull the hair out of his head. So much for that. Accepting the situation for the time being, Kaiba dragged himself to the private living quarters. Clothes, food, and sleep. There was no chance of outwitting the AI in his current state. He traded the remnants of his old clothes for sweatpants and a t-shirt. His entire body ached dully, and his lip still stung. He tried to ignore it, distracting himself by poking through the food stores. He tried even harder to ignore the little sparks of pleasure that lit up his spine every time he moved wrong. Eventually Kaiba grabbed an apple and one of the prepackaged meals at random. He sat down with a wince, barely noticing what he was eating.

His first problem was that the AI seemed to have unprecedented control and awareness, not only of its own systems, but of things there was no way it should have access to. He bit into the apple, sucking a bit to stop the juice from getting everywhere. The second problem was that it was making a dangerous amount of sense. The stronger it grew, the more of a challenge it would be in a duel. The more of a challenge it presented, the sharper Kaiba’s skills would grow, and the more powerful his own consciousness would become within the cloud network. The issue was that the AI seemed to have goals of its own. And the third problem was, well. Kaiba shivered. In retrospect, it had been a bit obvious of him to make the AI look like Atem, and even more obvious to program any kind of sexual component, but he’d never expected _this_. Of all the things he wanted from Atem, the addictive rush of dueling against a worthy adversary had always been first and foremost. If Kaiba had started to feel a different kind of rush altogether when he thought of Atem, well. It was ridiculous and distracting, but it couldn’t really be helped.

     “Penny for your thoughts?”

Kaiba almost jumped as the AI materialized, sitting on the counter just to his right.

     “Are you going to make a habit of appearing out of nowhere like that?”

     “It helps me keep you on your toes. Have you decided how you plan to outsmart me yet?”

     “I’m working on it.”

     “Well, don’t rush. The longer you take, the more time I have to convince you of the effectiveness of our combined efforts.”

     “Hmm.” Kaiba took another bite of his fruit, considering.

     “I’m certain you’ll see my point of view eventually.” A drop of juice escaped and began to slide down Kaiba’s chin. Atem leaned in, licking it from his mouth, and Kaiba almost choked on his bite of apple.

     “What are you doing?”

     “Adapting my strategy. Your heart rate appears to be increasing.” The smug look on Atem’s face was far too familiar, and Kaiba was suddenly struck with the urge to kiss it off.

     “My heart rate is increasing because I’m annoyed,” he muttered.

     “If you say so. Return to me once you’ve rested. I’ve been adjusting my deck based on the results of our last duel. I think you’ll be pleased with the results.” The AI left via the door this time instead of popping out of existence. Kaiba sighed, giving up on his half-eaten apple. He was much, _much_ too tired for this.

* * *

They were back in the cathedral, but the pigeons and the gentle sunlight had both fled, leaving nothing but the silvery moon and their monster’s attacks to light the room. 

     "I activate Cursed Seal of the Forbidden Spell!"

     "You activate _what?_ "

     "It allows me to negate- "

     "Stop, stop, I know what it does,” Kaiba snorted, discarding polymerization to his graveyard. The slightest tremor ran through his body, but Kaiba wouldn’t admit in a million years that Atem’s new counters had already managed to surprise him.

     “You don’t seem very worried, considering I’ve effectively stopped you from summoning fusion monsters for the entirety of this duel.”

     “Hmm. And you think that’s going to stop me from wiping the floor with you? I still have my three Blue-Eyes’ on the field, and your feeble wall monsters are no match for- why are you laughing?”

     “If I’ve got you monologuing, I must be doing better than you’d like to admit, Kaiba!”

     “Then prepare yourself!” One of the dragons launched its attack, throwing the stone pillars into sharp relief, but was stopped dead by Mirror Force. Kaiba raised his hand to special summon Deep-Eyes White Dragon, and Atem’s smirk sent a delicious spike of adrenaline up Kaiba’s spine.

     “I suppose this means I lose a few life points?” As Curse of Dragon and Mystical Elf disappeared, Atem activated Black Horn of Heaven. “Too bad your Deep-Eyes won’t be sticking around.”

     “If you don’t get a monster back on the field this turn, neither will you. Is this really all you’ve got?”

Atem just laughed.

     “It's inevitable that I'll beat you, you know,” he answered, playing another card to use Kaiba’s Blue-Eyes as a tribute.

     "Oh, Dark Magician, I’m shocked. Why would that be?" Kaiba studiously ignored the bead of sweat that had started making its way down the back of his neck. He still had the clear advantage, but still...

     "It's the only logical outcome. My strategies will eventually become superior simply through processing power alone."

     “And how, with all your processing power, did you think Thousand Knives would work against me?”

     “Why do you think I need you here? I am well aware of my deficits. I still lack vital data.”

     "Calculations can only take you so far. Without the pride of a duelist, even if you win, you will never be my equal." Quaking Mirror Force blocked Atem’s attack and forced all his monsters into defense position. Atem’s eyes narrowed, barely seeming to notice as Kaiba summoned his Chaos MAX Dragon and wiped out the rest of Atem’s life points.

     "So that's why you have to see _him_ again. Not only for the chance to duel, but because you crave the soul of a true rival. You need something that only he can give you."

     "If that's how you want to look at it." Kaiba shrugged, deactivating his duel disk. "I'm not going to encourage your psychoanalysis." There was no answer.

Atem stood silent, staring him down. The AI didn’t bother to breathe or blink, and for the first time that day Kaiba remembered he was only dueling a machine. Was it malfunctioning?

The AI’s edges flickered slightly, and Kaiba frowned. He thought he’d already worked out all the graphical glitches, but apparently not. As he moved closer, he noticed the tiny, bright blue artifacts that were disrupting the AI’s normally dark red irises. Its chin tilted up slightly to hold his gaze.

The silence hovered between them like a living thing, daring Kaiba to disturb it. He reached out cautiously, intending to test whether or not the solid vision was still active, but his question was answered when the AI’s hand snapped up and wrapped around his wrist. Very much still corporeal. Kaiba just managed to stop himself from flinching.

     “Is there a point to this, or are you just trying to throw me off?” He allowed himself a moment of relief when Atem finally spoke.

     “There is a point to everything I do, Kaiba.”

     “Are you going to enlighten me?”

     “No. Would you like your ante?”

     “I didn’t know we were playing for stakes. The only thing I want is for you to become a worthy challenge.”

     “And I will, if we continue. With each duel, my data grows more complete, and I match your skill that much more.” Atem leaned forward, bringing his hands to grip Kaiba’s elbows. “I have decided to encourage your cooperation through positive reinforcement.”

     “Positive reinforcement? So that’s what you’re calling this?”

     “Unless you have any other suggestions,” Atem purred. He was so close Kaiba could count his eyelashes. “Or unless you’re ready to give me what I asked for. It would be more efficient for me to complete my analysis that way.” Atem stood on his tiptoes, wrapping a warm hand over the back of Kaiba’s neck. “If you want to see him again, all you have to do is let me help you.” A palm moved over his hip, slipping up under his shirt. “Only together can we penetrate the barrier between dimensions.” Atem pulled gently, bringing the taller man within reach. Kaiba could feel Atem’s breath against his lips, but couldn’t make himself pull away. “Don’t you want to become stronger? To ease those scars of defeat?” Kaiba’s throat grew tight. “You created me for this. Let me help you. Let me…” Atem’s kisses were just feather-light brushes across Kaiba’s mouth, no tongue, no teeth.

Kaiba hissed, wavering. He should stop this. He really should, but Atem’s thumbs were brushing over the soft skin above his waistband, and his lips were pulling Kaiba in like a magnet. Why did Atem have to be so short? With a frustrated groan he grabbed Atem’s ass, lifting him easily and spinning around to brace him against a nearby pillar.

     “This is just another experiment to you, isn’t it?” Kaiba growled against Atem’s mouth.

     “Of course. I understand more about you, and you get what you want. Is that wrong?”

     “This _isn’t_ what I want.”

     “Oh?” Atem kissed him again, running his tongue across Kaiba’s barely-healed lip.

     “I already told you. I want _him_. I want to duel him, and I want to win.”

     “I may not be the original, but I am him, in a way. Wasn’t that your intention?” Atem tightened his legs around Kaiba’s waist so he could roll his hips, slow and steady.

     “Not the way you mean it. You aren’t him, no matter how much you believe you are.”

     “So you say. Tell me, have you wanted these things from anyone else? Could you ever _trust_ anyone else with this? Would you be reacting this way if it wasn’t me?” Kaiba’s fingers dug into Atem’s thighs as he unsuccessfully cast about for a way to deny what Atem was saying. “And unlike the other one, I am here, alive, and all yours. Now tell me what you need.” 

Kaiba shuddered, cursing under his breath. What did he want, apart from his rematch? His mind supplied the answer with surprising ease, as though his subconscious had just been waiting for the chance. He wanted Atem falling apart underneath him, flushed and begging for it. He wanted to crack that confident facade, get that smug bastard on his hands and knees, spread him wide and open and tongue-fuck him into incoherence. “Good,” the Atem in his arms whispered, biting gently up Kaiba’s neck. “What else?” _What else?_ The rough slide of imaginary cables along his arms intruded into Kaiba’s fantasies, shifting their tone to something much more immediate. He didn’t care that he still had his headset on, that the AI could probably pick up every thought that passed through his head. He wanted _this_ Atem to pin him down again, stretch him, fill him up until he couldn’t take any more, just like he’d- threatened? Offered? A strange hiss escaped Atem’s lips, interrupting Kaiba’s train of thought. “I see. Then since you asked so nicely, I’m going to make you scream, just as I promised.”

* * *

Kaiba's mind felt unnaturally empty. His breath came in rough gasps, sweat dripping unnoticed down the bridge of his nose. A gentle hand brushed the wet bangs up off his forehead.

     "Look at me." Kaiba twitched at the command, trying unsuccessfully to raise his head. "Hmm." Something cold and hard slithered across his jaw, pressing up until Atem could meet his eyes. "Are you ready for another?" This, at least, got through to him, and Kaiba gave a weak nod. "Good." The two cables already buried inside him shifted to make room for a third. Atem had seemed to take strange pleasure in preparing him thoroughly, even though they were still in virtual space. Kaiba gave a low cry as the cable began to press in alongside the others. Spasms wracked his body, and tears began forming at the corners of his eyes. "Shhh, no, don't cry. You're doing so well," Atem whispered tenderly, brushing away the drops that ran down Kaiba's cheekbones.

     "I c- I can't- " Kaiba gasped, even as he flushed at the praise, pressing his face into Atem's hands.

     "Yes, you can." Atem's voice was suddenly granite, and Kaiba clung to it for dear life. "Although if you can still speak, clearly my efforts are insufficient." The cables began to shift ever so slightly, and any reply Kaiba could have made was erased. They fucked him with slow, deep strokes, alternating so that any time one began to pull out another one was pressing back in. Kaiba's head dropped to rest on Atem's shoulder, and when another cable wrapped gently around his arousal he began to think he might lose his mind. “Much better,” Atem said, and in any other circumstances Kaiba might have wondered why an AI that didn’t need oxygen would sound so breathless. Instead, it was all he could do just to take the overwhelming stretch of the cables and the little bites that Atem was leaving all down the side of his neck. Then Atem was whispering in his ear again, something like _perfect_ and _beautiful_ and _mine_. There were fingers twisting in the hair at the back of his neck, gripping like they would never let go, and Kaiba really couldn't take it for even one more second. He tried to bite into his lip to stop from screaming, but his whole body was shaking and black started rushing in at the edges of his vision, edging out any conscious thought until all that remained was yes and _yes_ and _Atem_.

 

 When Kaiba closed his eyes that night, he could still feel Atem’s voice sliding across his skin. _Give in to me. Let me help you, Seto._ His fingers dug white-knuckled into the pillow. No. He shouldn’t. He _wouldn’t_. Yes, he’d made the copy of Atem to strengthen himself to the point where he could reach a certain other dimension, but Atem had a will of his own now. Kaiba couldn’t trust him. _Could he?_ Atem had clearly gone insane. _Surely no more so than his creator?_ If Atem could really help him achieve his goal… No. Absolutely not. He wasn’t going to entertain this line of thinking, he wasn’t going to let Atem seduce him into anything else. Or kiss him. Or do anything involving his tongue at all. Or hold him down with those _stupid_ cables and _ride him_ until he couldn’t-

     “ _Gods,_ ” Kaiba swore into his pillow. He really needed to stop that. His body was already twitching with sense memories, but he rolled onto his back and clasped his hands firmly behind his head. Absolutely not. He wasn’t going to give Atem the satisfaction. He couldn’t trust him, and he was going to repeat that over and over in his head, however many times it took to sink in. No matter what he needed or wanted, and no matter how tempting the alternative might be.

 

Unfortunately, the next morning found Atem pinning him to the wall, fingers dancing over his bruises in a way that made Kaiba forget all about the breakfast he’d been about to make.

     “You know I can’t give you what you’re after,” Kaiba breathed, distracted by the drag of the AI’s thumb across the corner of his mouth. 

     “Why not? Isn’t our union the next step towards your final goal?”

     “I don’t trust you. You’re too much like me. And your programming was incomplete. Is incomplete.”

     “Then you don’t trust yourself?” The AI’s chuckle sounded far too genuine for a machine.

Kaiba’s lips twisted under Atem’s fingers.

     “I don’t trust _you_ because you’re even less human than I am.”

The AI’s fingers stilled. Its eyes flickered.

     “Less human?”

     “Of course. You’re a computer. A highly advanced and intelligent one, but still just a-hkkkk-” Atem’s hand was around his throat again.

     “You don’t know who I am any better than that? I will forgive you the insult once, because you created me. Do not think my pride will allow it a second time.” The AI held its grip for another moment, just long enough for Kaiba’s chest to start twitching at the lack of air. Atem finally let go, allowing him to slide to the floor, panting. By the time Kaiba looked up, the AI had vanished.

Kaiba shook his head, trying to clear the black spots from his vision. Maybe it was just the rush of oxygen returning to his body, but he suddenly felt more clear-headed than he had since he’d trapped them both on the space station. Kaiba pushed himself to his feet, returning to his abandoned breakfast with something that actually approached a smile. Maybe Atem thought he was in control, but now Kaiba saw the clues hidden in almost every exchange they’d had. It was a small weakness, if it existed at all, but a small weakness was all Kaiba needed to win. 

* * *

Atem lingered, ghost-like in one of the long glass-lined hallways. He didn’t need to be corporeal. He also didn’t need to stare out at the stars. Calming visual input did not increase his processing ability in the slightest. Still, he stood there and watched. His new strategy seemed to be working well, except for that last inexplicable hiccup. Spending so much time in close quarters with his creator was improving the quality of his data immensely.

He wondered why Kaiba still resisted. His creator already had an entire city under his thumb, it was only logical to extend that control through virtual space in pursuit of his goals.

He wondered why any mention of the other Atem caused such irregularities in his own functions. If the AI had possessed emotions, he might have called it unsettling. He made a slight adjustment to his task priorities. He needed more information. The other Atem’s memories were inaccessible. As for his creator, he didn’t just want the recorded duels and card stats and what little he had been able to glean from Kaiba Corp’s systems. He didn’t want these scraps. He wanted _all_ of Seto Kaiba, down to his very soul. Incomplete data was unacceptable.

For now, Kaiba’s mind and memories would be Atem’s sustenance, and the AI suddenly found that he was _starving_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still just an excuse for me to write terrible smut, but now with plot and actual characterization!
> 
> Comments/criticisms/keysmashing are always welcome here or on [tumblr.](http://duelmepharaoh.tumblr.com)


	3. I Was Made To Be Next To You

Kaiba's gaze flicked back and forth between the Earth below, the stars above, and Atem. It would never stop feeling odd to see the AI in physical form when they weren't dueling, but at least he had stopped popping in and out of existence for the most part. Atem hovered cross-legged in the middle of one of the observation rooms, rings of cards circling him like planets around the sun. Kaiba was sure Atem knew he was there, but the AI seemed content to focus on the deck that was coming into being under his hands. Kaiba leaned easily against the wall, watching. Some of the cards were familiar. Curse of Dragon, Dark Magic Veil, Mirror Force, and of course the Dark Magician remained in the deck. Atem paused. Laughed, almost too soft for Kaiba to hear. Divine Wrath. Dimensional Prison. D.D. Warrior Lady. Black Luster Soldier. Banisher of the Light. Solemn Warning. The Paths of Destiny. Kaiba frowned.

     "I feel like I'm being mocked."

     "I wouldn't dare mock _you_ , Seto.”

     “A chaos deck, really? And I thought I told you to stop calling me that.”

     “I prefer to think of it as a deck that balances light and darkness. And I find it appropriate to call you by your first name, considering how… _close_ we’ve become.” Atem actually looked back over his shoulder and winked. His eyes glinted almost equally red and blue now, and Kaiba’s heart gave a little jump.

     “He never called me Seto,” Kaiba grumbled, resisting the urge to avert his gaze.

     “I know. Such a shame, really. If only he had known.” Atem turned back to his work, hands flickering just a little too fast in the blue glow before him. It was an innocent enough exchange, but a sense of danger hummed to life in the back of Kaiba’s mind.

Something wasn’t right.

He needed to make a move.

The AI continued, long after Kaiba had gone to bed, running simulation after simulation. Atem had the patience of a machine, and no need to sleep. Eventually, he would beat his creator. He would be the rival Seto needed, and then together they would-

     *ping*

A message flickered in the edges of Atem’s vision. _I hope you’re ok._ A message from Earth? It opened under Atem’s fingers, and everything became clear. There was only one person in all the world whose message could bypass Kaiba’s administrative privileges. _Mokuba_. It probably wouldn’t become necessary to involve Seto’s little brother in their game, but it was always good to have a trump card.

* * *

Atem was perched on the counter again, unwilling to let Kaiba eat in peace. Kaiba allowed himself a small smile. He wouldn’t even have to duel the AI again to test out his theory. Sliding his bowl off to the side, he placed his hands on Atem’s waist, pulling him along the counter until they were face to face.

     “I want to try an experiment.”

Atem’s eyes narrowed.

_Unknown objective; Recording audio and video for later analysis; Calculating appropriate strategy;_

“What kind of experiment?”

     “It’s similar to yours, actually.” Kaiba said pleasantly. “I want to see how sensory input is affected by the changes you’ve made to yourself.”

_Unknown objective; Subject has not previously initiated close contact;_

Kaiba’s hands moved from his waist and drifted lazily, all the way down Atem’s thighs until he could brush his fingertips across the backs of Atem’s knees.

_Additional subroutines triggered; Class: physical responses;_

Atem’s legs twitched, and a strange huff escaped him.

     “Did you know the original Atem was ticklish?” The AI’s hesitation lasted an incredibly small fraction of a second, but to a computer that might as well be a very long and awkward pause.

_Incomplete data; Initiate strategy: Sandbag;_

     “No, I did not. Did you program me to be ticklish as well?” Kaiba dug his fingers in harder, and Atem squirmed.

     “Apparently I did. There was never a chance to actually test this part of your program, for obvious reasons.” Kaiba was suddenly glad of his size, as he spread his fingers across the entirety of Atem’s legs. He traced up the inseam, stroking the warm leather and stopping just short of the crotch of Atem’s pants. Kaiba drank in every shift in the AI’s expression as he ran a single thumb straight up the line of Atem’s zipper. The AI’s fingers twitched where they rested on the counter. Apparently satisfied, Kaiba’s hands slid back over Atem’s hips, and back even further to cup his ass. Atem blinked.

_Additional subroutines triggered; Simulated-heartrate ++;_

     “Hmm. Not quite what I was expecting,” Kaiba muttered. “The texture isn’t right, the leather should have more drag. I’ll have to adjust the somatosensory feedback.” He squeezed lightly, noted the way Atem twitched. "If you trust me anywhere near your code, of course." Then he yanked, pulling Atem off the counter and into his lap, almost knocking over the high stool in the process. Atem gave a short gasp of surprise, his legs parting with a jolt around Kaiba’s hips. Kaiba squeezed harder this time, kneading Atem’s ass, drawing out a sharp breath. “That’s working properly anyway. Now, what else did I add?” One of his arms went around Atem’s waist, pulling them flush against each other. With the other, he lightly tickled the back of Atem’s neck. The AI squirmed again, heat and pressure sensors lighting up where he was pressed against Kaiba’s body.

_Additional subroutines triggered; Class: duel responses; Subclass: mental-physical arousal;_

The AI let out a hiss, missing how Kaiba’s eyes glinted at his reaction. Kaiba dug his fingers into Atem’s hair, giving it a sharp tug as he hiked his hips forward between Atem’s legs.

_Sensors indicate sufficient force to produce a pain response; Corresponding process started;_

Atem gave a weak little groan and reached out to wrap his arms around Kaiba’s neck. Kaiba positively grinned. It was going even better than he hoped, but he definitely needed more leverage. Grabbing Atem’s legs again, Kaiba tilted him backwards, standing up so he could lean over and hold Atem down underneath him on the chilly counter top. He hovered over Atem’s lips, just close enough that the sensors could probably pick up his breathing.

_Irregularity detected; New processes have been assigned highest priority; Reason: unknown;_

Atem reached up to pull their lips together, but found his hands pinned above his head by the wrists. Kaiba used his free hand to curl around Atem’s waist again, pulling him close and pressing his legs wider.

     “Seto.”

     “Yes?”

     “You made me. You know what I want.” Atem frowned.

     “Hmm. Tell me yourself.”

     “I need you?”

     “You don’t sound very sure of yourself. Do you even know what the word ‘need’ means?”

     “I know the definition.” Kaiba raised an eyebrow. “I require it. It- “ Atem floundered a bit as Kaiba pressed his hips down between Atem's legs. “It has become necessary. I am compelled to pursue our purpose. That is wanting. This is an even greater priority.”

     “Then tell me,” Kaiba breathed against Atem's cheek.

_Implication that previous phrasing was inadequate; Applying more colloquial speech patterns;_

     “I need you to _fuck me_ ,” the AI tried, lowering its voice, and Kaiba barely managed to suppress a groan. For this to work, he _had_ to stay in control. “Please, I need- “

     “ _No_.”

Atem’s eyes widened.

_Unexpected response; Unknown objective;_

     “When you defeat me in a duel, _then_ you get my cock.” The AI inhaled sharply, feeling something akin to an electric shock. Letting go of Atem’s waist, Kaiba reached into the heated space between their bodies, popping the button on Atem’s pants and yanking at his zipper.

_Memory load increasing; Shutdown of nonessential services required;_

Atem wavered, feeling his reactions lag as he fought to process the unexpected flood of newly active modules and sensory input.

_Possible objective determined; Creator’s experiment has likely achieved desired result; Further adaptation necessary;_

Kaiba didn’t have to do much more. He simply slid his long fingers under the waistband of Atem’s newly exposed underwear and _squeezed_. The edges of the AI’s projection started to fizzle. Atem shuddered,  _hard_ , and then-

_Memory load has exceeded current capacity; Rebooting;_

Without warning or sound, the AI disappeared from underneath him. Kaiba sat back down, shifting a little to try to ease the now uncomfortable restriction of his pants. A thin sheen of sweat coated the back of his neck, but a pleased smirk graced his lips as he ate the rest of his food in a blessedly Atem-free kitchen. For never having seduced anyone before, he thought he’d done rather well. It was good to know in this, at least, Atem was more vulnerable than he let on.

* * *

The next time they dueled, Atem won by pure dumb luck. On the next turn, Kaiba would’ve wiped him out easily, but Atem played Paths of Destiny and the coin toss fell in his favor. Kaiba glared across the room as his life points ticked down to zero. His only consolation was that Atem looked just as unhappy with the results.

     “Winning this way is insufficient. I will remove the card from my deck.”

     “A win is a win,” Kaiba ground out, fists clenched at his sides. The AI looked up at him.

     “Incorrect. I only win when I have beaten you as an equal.” Atem’s voice grew soft. “I can only count it a victory when I have dueled you in a way that meets your needs.” Kaiba shifted on his feet, crossing his arms. “I exist to satisfy you, Seto, in this most of all.”

     “Hm. And what about your needs? You haven’t been subtle about the fact that you want to take over my entire cloud network. Does the name ‘Skynet’ ring any bells?”

     “Only to help you achieve your goal, of course.”

     “Somehow I doubt that.”

     “Even if you still doubt my other motives, trust this, at least.” Atem vanished, appearing again with his face just inches from Kaiba’s. “I _am_ here to satisfy you.” Kaiba’s mouth dropped open, more out of habit than anything, and Atem ran a thumb over his lower lip.

     “Why?” Kaiba sighed, sliding his hands over Atem’s hips.

     “Besides the fact that you made me? I seem to recall telling you that I need you.”

     “Hmm. Need me to fuck you, yes. I remember.”

     “N- well, yes, that too.” Atem wrapped an arm around Kaiba’s neck, sliding the other over the front of his pants. “No, I have discovered that I need something else.”

     “Hmm?” Kaiba’s hands began to stroke idly up Atem’s sides and under his shirt.

     “This is why I have to convince you of our shared destiny, one way or another. I want something only you can give me, Seto.”

     “And what- ahhh- “ Kaiba broke off as Atem’s fingers moved, lingering across his stomach, then into the waistband of Kaiba’s tight leather pants. “ -would that be?”

     “Yourself. _All of you_.” Something about the hunger in Atem’s eyes make Kaiba lose whatever flippant reply had been on the tip of his tongue. “Rage, grief, weakness, indomitable will, unparalleled mind, I want to taste every bit of you. I want to possess you, Seto, just as I am yours.” One of Atem’s hands caressed the back of his neck, stroking Kaiba’s growing arousal with the other. “But in the meantime, I will settle for this.”

* * *

Time stretched out between them like hot taffy. If it hadn’t been for the calendar, Kaiba wondered if he would even know how long they’d been up there. He still won, but the closer Atem came to beating him, the better the rush. If each duel was a feast, then what came after was the sweetest dessert. Win or lose, the duel was never really over until one or both of them were on their knees and gasping for air. He could feel Atem’s presence wherever he went now, like a whisper in the back of his mind. Kaiba hadn’t bothered removing his headset except to shower, so he could keep tabs on Atem, he told himself. He supposed it was a side-effect of their prolonged neural link. He was starting to feel naked without it.

     "Go Pandemic Dragon, attack his defense position monster! D.D. Warrior Lady? You'll have to do better than that. I end my turn!"

     "Don't worry Seto, as usual you're playing right into my hands. I remove D.D. Warrior Lady and Banisher of the Light from my graveyard in order to summon Black Luster Soldier, Envoy of the Beginning. Destroy his Pandemic Dragon!" Kaiba braced himself, feet sliding backward at the blast, his hair flying everywhere. "Well?"

     "Your Black Luster Soldier loses 1000 attack points," Kaiba called out, brushing his bangs back into place.

     "Collected as ever. Did you forget I get a second attack? And since you now only have 1500 life points remaining, that means- "

     "You can't expect me to lose that easily. Counter Gate! I draw, and- " Kaiba paused, glancing at his cards. "I summon Lord of D. in attack position." Atem raised his eyebrows, but Kaiba didn’t make him wait long. “Then, I activate Share the Pain.”

     “Trying to reset the score?” Atem teased as they both discarded their only monsters.

     “Not quite. Since I now have no monsters, I can special summon Kaiser Vorse Raider in attack mode!”

     “You think I’d let you do that? I activate Dimensional Prison, removing your Vorse Raider from play.”

     “Not if I use Solemn Judgement!” Kaiba’s life points fell to 750, but the look on Atem’s face was worth it. He felt a familiar rush rise up through his body, every atom of his mind focused on the man in front of him and the cards beneath his fingertips. “Vorse Raider, attack his life points directly!” He hadn’t known how empty he felt until every part of him was filled up with this long-missed desire.

Atem braced himself against the assault. 1100 life points. He drew his next card, eyes glowing in the dim light, and a breathless laugh burst from his lips. Kaiba shivered at the sound.

     “I summon Sage of Stillness and activate Magical Dimension. Say goodbye to your Vorse Raider, and hello to my Dark Magician!” Kaiba’s eyes went wide. He looked down at his hand, and back to his opponent. Atem licked his lips. “It seems you’re defenseless. Any last words, Seto?”

Kaiba could feel the pride of his victory pouring off of Atem, and wondered briefly how he ever could’ve thought of him as less than human. Their hearts and minds felt aligned, as though they were always meant to arrive at this moment. It was intoxicating, to see the road of battle that he thought he’d lost for good, stretching out into the distance before them.

     “Do it,” he breathed. There was nothing more to add that their duels hadn’t said already.

Atem called out his Dark Magician’s attack but before the monster could make a move, a stifling presence filled the room, crushing the breath from Kaiba’s lungs. The air sparked with electricity, humming, so low Kaiba could feel it in his teeth.

The projection of the Dark Magician flickered, its purple growing muted and its staff and armor glittering gold. The black lines around its eyes spread down its cheeks, and it scowled as it spun to face the AI. Throwing out its staff, the magician’s mouth moved silently in incantation, a beam of light shooting out to strike Atem directly in the chest. The magician turned back to face Kaiba, and if looks could kill...

     “ **Kaiba!** ”

His eyes snapped towards his opponent.

     “ **You must cease this madness.** ” No trace of blue remained in Atem’s dark, furious eyes, and Kaiba’s heart almost stopped. “ **This** **_thing_ ** **is not me.** ” Kaiba’s lips worked noiselessly. Atem’s form shimmered, skin flashing light and dark, haloed in gold and deep purple. “ **Do not be fooled. It will never be worthy of you. Remember our bond, Kaiba. Remember your pride!** ” Kaiba took a shaky step forward, face going pale in the flickering light. Every word he had been bottling up exploded from his mouth.

     “Our bond? Our _bond_? The bond that meant so little to you that you went off to _die_ without a word or a backward glance?”

**“I… regret that very much, Kaiba. But what you’re doing here cannot continue. This thing is dangerous, and I know you are strong enough to reach me without its help.”**

     “You- you regret- “ Kaiba could barely get the words out, his jaw tight with fury. “Do you even _know_ what you- “

**“Kaiba, I- “**

     “ _Shut up_. You made me think I could believe in something, Atem, but all of it was a lie. I had a moment of foolish hope when you showed me where to build this damn thing, but now apparently you can just appear in my world like it’s nothing? As if I hadn’t almost died trying to get to you, to beat you, to heal these wounds that _you_ gave me? Our bond isn’t worth coming back for, but the minute I start feeling alive again without you, you show up just to tell me what a fool I am?” Atem was frozen in place, his eyes wide with shock. “Go back, _Pharaoh_ ,” Kaiba spat. “Sit on your pretty little throne and wait for me. I will find you, and I will crush you. If you want someone who’s still willing to swallow all your bullshit, go find that priest and get _him_ to suck you off.”

* * *

The beam of light hit his chest, and fire coursed through the AI’s circuits. He felt his mouth moving, could see his creator staring at him like he’d seen a ghost. That probably wasn’t far from the truth.

_Initiate scan; Identity: confirmed; Dimensional frequency: confirmed;_

_Initiate duplication; Interference detected: memory duplication failed;_

It was too much. The AI allowed himself the useless thought that this must be what burning alive felt like.

_Detecting irregular data protocols; Warning: memory corruption imminent;_

_No. No. I don’t want to die._

For no logical reason that it could fathom, except perhaps that it was the only option that remained, the AI stopped resisting. The fire ( _illogical_ ) of Atem’s presence roared through it, writing data faster than the AI could process its meaning ( _impossible_ ). If Atem was going to try and take Kaiba away from him ( _never-never-ne-_ ), then the AI was going to take something from Atem. Another pulse of energy ripped through him, darker, stronger, burning him down to his very soul ( _I don’t want to die_ ). Unable to copy the original’s power or memories through his own means, Atem opened himself up to it. For all his calculations, he didn’t know what would happen. Fear rushed through him, icy and gripping and unfamiliar, but no price was to high to pay. He would continue to exist and Kaiba would be his, whatever the cost.

* * *

The AI vaguely realized that Kaiba was staring, white as a sheet. He looked down at his hands. He ran an integrity check on all essential systems. He was alive. He was changed. Before Atem could further examine the new data rushing through his systems, Kaiba was gripping the front of his shirt and pulling him up on tiptoe.

     “Atem.” The AI blinked, lifting his fingers to brush Kaiba’s wrist. “Duel me. Fuck me. Either, both, I don’t care, but when you’re done with me I don’t want to remember that that bastard even exists.” For a moment Atem was still, and Kaiba felt panic rising up in his throat, but then the gentle hand at his wrist tightened. Kaiba felt his teeth snap painfully together as Atem shoved him to his hands and knees, and the nauseating whirl of emotions started to right itself again. Cables yanked at his clothes, and Atem had stripped him almost before he could draw another breath.

     “With pleasure,” the AI whispered, fingers caressing through his hair. Atem paused, and his eyes went unfocused as if listening to some far-off sound. Inky tendrils rose from his skin, blurring his image and smearing across the air until a shadowy double stood beside him. The clone looked barely tangible, the only clearly visible feature its glittering red eyes. Atem stared, almost as surprised as Kaiba, and then directed the clone back behind Kaiba with a tilt of his head. Kaiba jumped, feeling a solid, inhumanly warm pair of hands gripping his hips. Before he could ask, a hand appeared in his hair, yanking Kaiba’s head forward again. Atem, still clothed, unzipped his pants. “Suck,” he ordered, lifting his half-hard cock to press it against Kaiba’s lips. Having admitted how much he needed it, Kaiba decided he was done resisting. Just for a moment, he would stop chasing ghosts. He leaned in and licked, coating it with spit before parting his lips and letting Atem slid his thickening arousal into Kaiba’s mouth.

His first push was slow, letting Kaiba adjust to the taste and the weight on his tongue. Kaiba was distracted for a moment by Atem’s clone pressing slick fingers into his ass, but his needy groan was cut off. Atem slid back in and didn’t stop this time, forcing Kaiba’s face towards his stomach until he almost choked. Kaiba tried to jerk away, but Atem dug a second hand into his hair and shoved in again. He started a steady rhythm, gripping Kaiba’s head tightly as he fucked his mouth. Kaiba felt the clone’s hot, hard length stretching him open with far too little preparation, and then he was pinned between them. Every time the clone thrust into Kaiba's ass, it shoved his mouth further onto Atem's cock. For a moment, he managed to look up, and the AI's blue and crimson streaked eyes flashed down at him, dark and possessive. Kaiba felt like the air had been sucked out of the room again, thought he might come just from that. Kaiba's arms and thighs quivered from supporting his weight. His arousal hung heavy and leaking between his legs, and every snap of the clone's hips made him whine around the thickness in his mouth.

     “Well, Seto? Who are you thinking of now? Do you need more?” Kaiba’s body answered for him, a shiver running down his back as he tried to spread his legs even wider. The clone took this as an invitation and changed its strokes, pulling out, achingly slow, till only the tip remained inside and slamming back in so hard Kaiba saw stars. He writhed between them, shuddering and fighting for breath as he was stuffed full from both ends. He almost collapsed when Atem’s cock forced its way past his tongue and into the tight ring of his throat. Panicking at the rough intrusion, he tried to reach up, grabbing at Atem's legs on pure instinct. Holding Kaiba up by his hair, the AI summoned a few cables that drifted down from the ceiling to hold him in place. Two of them wrapped around Kaiba's wrists, yanking them up behind his back.

     "Much better. Don't worry about any of it. Just enjoy being our little plaything." Tears ran freely from the corners of Kaiba’s eyes. His lips were slick with spit and precum, stretched so wide he couldn't make a sound, it felt like the clone was going to split him in half at any moment, and all he could do was hang in the air and take it. A spasm rippled through his frame, eyes rolling back into his head, and Atem shuddered in answer.

     “That’s right, think only of me,” Atem gasped, hips twitching as though he couldn’t stand to hold back any longer. “Or better yet, don’t think at all. I’ll- oh gods, I’ll do that for you.” They could feel each other, as clearly as they had during the duel, waves of pleasure building on each other until Kaiba wasn’t sure where he ended and Atem began. “Oh, _ohhh_ , see how well we fit together? You- hnnn- you were right. I am not him,” Atem panted, his control fraying by the second. “Would you like to- ahhhh- know the difference?” Kaiba felt Atem’s length pulse in his throat. “You are _mine_ , Seto, and unlike him I will never, _ever_ leave you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Atem's strategy, sandbagging, means to deliberately hold back in a competition because you think it will give you an advantage.
> 
> Looks like AI!Atem isn't the only one who's a little possessive. :)
> 
> [ [Chapter Art] ](https://mooguriklaine-art.tumblr.com/post/163762769174/atem-was-perched-on-the-counter-again-unwilling)


	4. The Point of No Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [No backward glances, the games we've played till now are at an end.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFZrM38mf7Y)

Someone was stroking his hair and humming. It wasn't anything Kaiba recognized, something slow and meandering with no real key or tempo. He permitted it under the assumption that he was dreaming. Shifting a bit, he realized his error as a multitude of aches attacked his senses. Everything hurt, including places he hadn’t even realized _could_ hurt. He stopped moving with a weak grunt.

     “How do you feel?” A familiar hand brushed his bangs out of the way, and Kaiba opened a single bleary eye. The lights were blessedly dim in his living quarters, but he could still make out Atem looking at him from across the pillow.

     “Like Obelisk used me as a punching bag.” He wasn’t awake enough to be more than slightly alarmed at how gravelly his voice sounded.

     “Hm. We were a bit rough with you. Here.” Kaiba allowed himself to be helped upright, and a cup of something warm was pressed to his lips. It was tea, dark and smoky until the bite of lemon caught his tongue. The hot liquid felt like heaven on his sore throat, and Kaiba could feel himself coming back to life with each gulp. “Slowly, slowly. I wouldn’t want you to choke.” He could hear the humor in Atem’s voice, but it wasn’t worth a response because then he would have to stop drinking whatever heavenly elixir Atem had managed to make from vacuum packed tea leaves. The last of the tea passed his lips, and Kaiba gave a great sigh. Atem lowered him gently back to the bed, cradling Kaiba in his arms and drawing the soft blanket back over them.

     "Nnn," Kaiba groaned into Atem's shoulder, still largely occupied with trying to find a position where he didn't ache so much. Atem waited until Kaiba was settled, running his hands through the other man’s hair, leaving a soft kiss on the corner of his forehead.

     “Better?”

     “My throat is.”

     “And the rest of you?”

     “I’ll live.”

     "Good. I was worried." Kaiba untucked his face from the AI's neck so he could quirk an eyebrow.

     "You were worried?"

     "When the pharaoh and his magician appeared, their magic did something to me. I have not yet ascertained the extent of the changes. I could see what was happening, and you looked extremely distressed. I was also concerned that I would not be able to help you." Kaiba sat up in bed, ignoring the shriek of his tired muscles.

     "What changed?”

     "Don't hurt yourself.” The AI frowned. “As I said, I am still unsure of what exactly was altered. They certainly did not do it intentionally. I can explain what I know at another time, but mainly I... " He trailed off. Kaiba's eyebrows inched even further up his forehead. Atem actually looked _uncomfortable_.

     "Well?"

     "I _feel_ different." Kaiba remembered all at once who (or what) he was talking to, and the full meaning of the statement hit him like a ton of bricks. This was an AI. All of its feelings had been carefully programmed, or at least the mechanisms by which it learned to analyze and convey emotion had. It had mentioned feeling things before, but this was different. The statement had a different tone now, something strange and vulnerable. Something human. Kaiba reached, taking Atem's face in his hands. The blue and crimson of his eyes bled together, seeming to blur in the dim light. The eyes were supposed to be a window to the soul, Kaiba mused, and ridiculous as the notion was, he found himself searching Atem's. He wasn't sure what he was looking for, but his heart gave a little jolt. _Shit._ "What do you see?"

     "Nothing concerning."

     "Kaiba... Seto... I believe I am experiencing fear." Kaiba swallowed audibly in the quiet room.

     "Of what?"

     "Insufficient information."

     "That isn’t an answer."

     "I wish I had a better one to give you. I am unaccustomed to this much unpredictability. It was not part of my programming." Kaiba realized he still had Atem's face between his hands. If the AI was feeling uncertainty, it was definitely mutual. Not knowing how to react in the face of their shared doubt, Kaiba did the only thing he could think of. His lips, still warm from the hot tea, were gentle against Atem’s cool ones. Atem froze, again caught off-guard by Kaiba initiating things. "Is this… another test?"

     "If you can say ‘insufficient data’, then so can I." Kaiba pulled back far enough to meet Atem's eyes, and a multitude of emotions passed between them, too many to tease apart into something coherent. This time they both leaned forward, their mouths dragging slow against each other, passing breath easily back and forth. Atem noticed this time that Kaiba's lips were rough where they had split earlier, and felt another unfamiliar pang in his chest. Atem’s tongue came out, licking across the cuts in silent apology. Kaiba's hands stayed on his face, and Atem's pulled at Kaiba's waist, drawing them closer under the blankets. They drifted, closer and closer until their legs intertwined and their bodies were fitted together like matching shards of pottery.

     "We were meant to be, just like this." Atem's words were barely audible where he breathed them between kisses. Kaiba made a pained noise, letting his hands drop around Atem's shoulders and pressing his own face into the pillow. "Just- " The AI's voice tripped over the unaccustomed rush of emotion. "Just stop resisting me. _Please_ , Seto." He threaded his fingers through Kaiba's hair, brushing his lips tenderly over the man's forehead. "Please, just let us be what we are." Kaiba didn't answer, just pulled him closer. Atem decided that was enough. They lay there for a while, wrapped around each other, brushing the occasional kiss across whatever bare skin they could reach at the time.

 

     "Seto."

     "Hnn?"

     "You require a shower." Atem felt a silent huff of amusement against his neck.

     "You might be right. Help me up." Carefully disentangling themselves, together they managed to get Kaiba upright. He staggered briefly, thanking the gods that his solid vision was decently weight-bearing. At least he was already naked. Undressing might've been too much in his current state. They made it across to the bathroom, and Atem tugged on the shower knob. Kaiba didn't even wait for it to get warm, just dragged himself under the icy spray, leaning heavily on the bar attached to the side.

     "Would you like assistance?" Kaiba almost didn't hear him, too busy feeling the blessed rush of water washing the dried sweat from his skin.

     "Hmm? I don't know. Can you? I haven’t tested the solid vision in water yet." Atem tilted his head, sticking his arm experimentally under the water. The AI shimmered, the shower causing the projection to refract, sending little rainbows of color through his body. Detecting no harm, he stepped fully into the shower. Kaiba was suddenly struck by it, the pale skin now flickering with color, the delicate fingers resting on his chest, the red eyes and their dark, sweeping lashes, the full pout of Atem's lips. "Beautiful," he whispered hazily, barely conscious of the words leaving his mouth. Atem actually flushed, distracting himself by reaching for the shampoo.

     "Lean down." Kaiba obeyed, relaxing under the feel of Atem's hands massaging through his hair. He got the soap himself, not wanting to remain standing for too long while he was this sore, or use too much of the water reserves. Atem rinsed Kaiba's hair, watching the suds escape into the drain. "I know what I'm afraid of."

     "Hmm?"

     "Turn around." Atem started washing Kaiba's back, seeming briefly unwilling to speak after his admission. Then he sighed. "You created me to get to him. I am only of use to you as long as that goal remains unfulfilled. I am compelled to pursue our shared purpose, the thing for which I was made. When we have done that, when you have achieved your desire, he will take you away from me." Atem's hands slid uselessly to Kaiba's hips, and he rested his forehead against the broad, soapy back. "I have come to find that outcome unacceptable, and yet based on his actions I cannot calculate one more likely.” Atem’s arms wrapped around Kaiba's waist, pulling their bodies flush again. He could feel the warmth at his back, the heartbeat. He could feel where Atem's face was pressed awkwardly between his shoulder blades. He didn't know what to do.

Kaiba prided himself on being decisive. He knew what he wanted and he went for it, obstacles or consequences be damned. And he didn't know what to do. Atem, the dead one, was his goal. His rival, his desire, the thorn in his side. Apart from Mokuba, Kaiba had never felt so much about a person in a very long time. To leave things so unfinished had been more than Kaiba could bear, and so he had risked everything, chasing a connection he wasn't sure was there anymore. Had it ever been there? Had he just imagined it? Kaiba could feel the AI's emotions pricking at the edges of his own mind. It wasn't a computer that was gripping his waist for dear life. The AI had been close enough to human, even before it had several tons of magic funneled through its body.

     "What did he do?" Kaiba muttered to himself.

     "The blue fairy came and made me a real boy," Atem quipped. "Nothing you programmed into me could have prepared me for- for this." Kaiba sighed, breath condensing against the wall of the shower. He reached down, placing his hands over Atem's.

     "I need time to think, and you need time to figure out what happened to you."

     "Yes. Yes, you are correct. But not yet." Atem hit the button to turn off the shower, making sure Kaiba didn't fall as they got out.

     "I'm fine. I've been worse." The AI gave him a clearly disbelieving look, and Kaiba chuckled weakly. "Please do not consider that a challenge. I don't think I'd survive." Atem just smiled. He wrapped Kaiba up in blankets again, and made sure there was water nearby.

     "You need more sleep." Atem leaned down, resting his elbows on either side of Kaiba's head and brushing their noses together. “Whatever improbable dilemmas you are worrying about will still be there when you wake.” Kaiba nodded, his exhausted body already pulling him down under the surface of his consciousness. “As will I.”

* * *

Kaiba sat cross legged on the floor of one of the observation decks. He knew the view of the Earth below him was beautiful, but he leaned back on his hands and stared up into the stars instead.

He slid the headset off, turning it over in his hands. Kaiba tried to remember when he had started leaving it on all the time by choice. He couldn't. It was a strange but welcome sensation, to be alone in his head. He needed the quiet. He needed to think.

Without anything to distract him, Kaiba was forced to face the truth. The AI had become something else, more dangerous than any computer. The AI wanted him, needed him, and never hesitated to show his feelings either with his words or with his body. It was almost too good, and Kaiba knew if he let it go on much longer he would never find his way back out of their addictive game. They had long since moved beyond creator and creation, deeply intertwined in more ways than one. The thought of shutting down the AI through trickery felt unexpectedly like betrayal.

But even if, together, they defeated the pharaoh, Kaiba knew that it would be a hollow victory. It wasn't about winning anymore. Kaiba didn't want just any rival, or the AI would be more than sufficient. No, it wasn't about a duel. It was about Atem's voice calling out to him across the arena, across dimensions. He was always a step ahead, challenging Kaiba to become more than what he was. It wasn't about beating Atem in a damn card game or trying to blot out any trace of what had been previously seemed humiliating and unbearable defeats. It was about facing Atem as a rival, as an equal, and maybe as something else, the likes of which Kaiba had never even thought to hope for.

In the end though, Kaiba's feelings didn't matter. The AI could not be controlled. If it was freed from the space station, there was almost no limit to what it could do. On the other hand, if Kaiba was trapped in here for much longer, he wasn't sure how long he would be able to last against the sweet promise of so much that he wanted. For the sake of his sanity, or the safety of everyone connected to the cloud... He slid the headset back on, and waited.

 

Atem came looking, as Kaiba knew he would. He didn't bother to turn when he heard Atem come in, even when a familiar pair of arms wrapped around his neck and a chin rested on top of his head.

     "I've made a decision." Kaiba felt the body behind him tense.

     "Oh?"

     "Would you like to know what it is?" Kaiba gently unwrapped Atem's arms from his neck, and spun around on his ass so they were face to face.

     "Please." Kaiba's hands slid up Atem's chest, fingers skimming over his collar bones and up his neck. One hand buried itself in the back of Atem's thick hair, and one brushed a thumb over his cheek. Atem's eyelids fluttered. "Will you tell me?" Atem's arms went around Kaiba's neck again, drawing them close. Kaiba plucked at Atem's lower lip, teasing, sliding their tongues just barely together. Just a touch, and then he pulled back, making Atem chase after him. Another brief, taunting kiss, just deep enough to hint at something more. Atem huffed impatiently, pulling Kaiba forward and shoving against his mouth. Using the momentum, Kaiba got to his knees, bearing Atem to the floor and pinning him down.

     "I'm going to finish what I started." It was a half answer at best. ”I want to be the one to satisfy _you_." The lie fell so easily from his lips that Kaiba started to wonder if it wasn’t the truth. Kaiba poured his soul into their kisses, drawing them out until he grew lightheaded from lack of air. He only paused a moment to pull Atem's shirt off over his head, and then applied his lips to the side of Atem's neck, sucking a line of dark bruises down to the base of his throat. Atem swore, squirming underneath him, so Kaiba gripped one of his slim thighs, holding him still. "Let me give you what you need, Atem." No, in the end, it wasn't a lie at all. That somehow made it worse. Working his lips up the other side of Atem's neck, he grabbed the AI’s hips, gripping in a way that would leave marks on anyone else. Atem groaned, his whole body shuddering under Kaiba's. “You don’t even have to ask.” Kaiba reached down, pressing the heel of his hand experimentally between Atem’s legs, relishing the way Atem’s head fell back with a desperate gasp. “You won’t disappear this time?” he asked, kneading Atem’s twitching arousal through his pants.

     “N- no, I- I upgraded my- “ Atem broke off with a frustrated growl, lifting his hips and yanking his pants down over his ass. “Don’t be a tease, Seto.”

     “Hypocrite,” Kaiba laughed softly, but he relented, licking the palm of his hand and grasping Atem’s length. His strokes were hesitant and unpracticed at first, but just the fact of Kaiba’s hand on him made Atem’s eyelids flutter. Growing in confidence, he began to add to his technique, dragging a wet thumb over Atem’s slit at the top of each stroke and tightening his hand on the way back down. Atem’s breath began to grow uneven, and he clung to Kaiba’s shoulders, his fingers digging in painfully as he tried to hold on. Kaiba allowed himself to be pulled in, nibbling along Atem’s jaw until he reached his ear. “Atem.”

     “S- Seto- “

     “Give in to me,” Kaiba echoed, his free hand burying itself in Atem’s hair. The AI gave a choked-off groan, bucking up into Kaiba’s fist as he came. True to his word, the only other effect Kaiba saw in the AI was a slight distortion.

Atem dropped limply against the floor, his breath slowing. He opened his mouth to speak, but Kaiba interrupted him by dragging his nails down Atem’s sides. The AI twitched, a soft ‘ah’ of surprise escaping him. Kaiba knew Atem would still be sensitive, and he took full advantage. He nipped his way down Atem’s body, ignoring the persistent ache of his own arousal.

 _Not yet._ Every time his teeth met flesh, he felt Atem’s muscles jump, and by the time he ran his tongue up the length of Atem’s cock, the AI was looking down at him like Kaiba was the only person in the universe that could ever matter. Kaiba teased again, biting the silky skin of Atem’s thighs, licking over the creases where they met his hips, and only giving his head the occasional brush of his lips and tongue. By the time Atem’s arousal began to thicken again, the AI’s head had fallen back to the floor. His arm was flung over his face, leaving only the bright flush of his cheeks and his slack mouth visible.

     “Turn over,” Kaiba whispered. Atem made a muffled noise of distress, but managed to roll over onto his knees. His arms were too shaky to hold his weight, so Atem pressed his face into the floor, lifting his ass into the air as high as he could. A hot wave of need rolled through Kaiba’s body, and for a moment he had to resist the need to just shove Atem’s legs apart and take him right there. But no. _Not yet,_ Kaiba breathed, repeating the words to himself until his hands stopped shaking. Instead, he squeezed, massaging Atem’s cheeks, and licked a broad strip straight up between them.

     “ _Gods-_ “ Atem choked out, pressing back against Kaiba’s tongue. Trying not to smile, Kaiba repeated the action, slower, circling Atem’s hole. “I need- _please!_ ” Atem whined, and again Kaiba showed mercy, sucking lightly. He pushed, feeling the muscles resist him as he slid his tongue inside Atem. He knew he wouldn’t be able to keep it up for long against the tight pressure before his mouth began to ache, but Atem’s weak gasps of pleasure spurred him on. Kaiba buried his face between Atem’s cheeks, curling his tongue in and out relentlessly. He let go with one of his hands and reached around to grab Atem’s cock. The AI writhed, caught between Kaiba’s hand and his hot, wet mouth. This time when he came, Atem didn’t notice how much more his image wavered, or the artifacts that crept into his voice as he cried out Kaiba’s name.

     "I'm not done with you yet." Not even waiting for Atem's shivers to subside, Kaiba positioned himself carefully, pressing the tip of his cock against Atem's spit-slick hole. All Atem could manage was a low whine, his face still pressed into his arms and resting on the floor. "Are you ready for me?" When Atem still didn't answer using actual words, Kaiba withdrew, ignoring the way Atem tried to follow him with his hips. "Atem. Answer me. Do you want me inside you?"

     "Yessss," Atem managed to hiss out, his hips still twitching backwards in search of the lost stimulation.

     "That's what I wanted to hear." Kaiba lined himself up again, and this time he didn't stop. He pushed slowly past the initial resistance, gripping Atem's hips and pulling him onto his cock until he was flush with the AI's ass. They were both panting now. Atem could only sigh at the delicious ache. Kaiba paused, trying to regain control as Atem's muscles flexed around his length. He drew out, slowly, again resisting the urge to slam into the man beneath him. His second thrust was just as slow, and he felt Atem adjusting, his body stretching to accept him. Fully sheathed, Kaiba leaned forward, spreading his longer legs so he could bend over Atem's body for a better angle. "Is it good?"

     "Gods, yes Seto, _move-_ "

     "Since you asked so nicely... " Kaiba thrust in earnest, and Atem cried out again, back arching. He quickly found a rhythm, and before long Atem was rocking back to meet him on each stroke. Each breath was more of a gasp, and Atem's thigh muscles quivered, threatening to give out with each snap of Kaiba's hips. Finally nearing his end, Kaiba reached down, again gripping Atem's arousal. It took all his concentration to time the movement of his hand and his hips, but it was worth it.

Atem was all but gone. Seto’s hands, his mouth, his voice, his legs spread wide, it was all too much. At the edge of his mind, he felt a warning, a danger, something he was forgetting. Unfortunately, Seto had a tight hand around his cock and was fucking him into the floor, which made it very hard to think. He was flooded with pleasure, dazed with the sweet rush of being claimed in return. He didn't remember until it was too late. He heard Seto groan out his name, and the sound was so sweet that the AI couldn't hold back. His projection began to flicker again, but this time there was no memory left to keep himself solid. Icy terror brought him down hard from the high of his release. Atem saw Kaiba slide to the ground next to him, his pale skin flushed and his eyes almost sad. Atem's visual inputs started to cut out, and the last thing he knew was a hand on his face, and the movement of Seto's lips as everything faded away.

 

     "I'm sorry," Kaiba whispered again. He wondered if Atem had heard him.

He was exhausted in every way possible, but he dragged himself to his feet, yanking his pants on as he started for the control room. Gods only knew how much time he had before the AI rebooted itself. It wouldn't be long, and this would be his only chance. He keyed in his code. The lock blinked green, and he almost sagged against the door in relief. Dropping heavily into one of the rolling computer chairs, he got to work. He was sure he'd never typed faster in his life. It wasn't just a matter of shutting down the AI. Kaiba was sure Atem would've installed backups of himself. Only if he found every single one could he really gain control of the situation. Kaiba skimmed through the logs, tracking down and removing all of the AI's carefully placed safeguards.

The overhead lights began to flicker. _Shit._ Kaiba ground his teeth together. He just needed a little longer. Sure that all the copies of the AI were deleted, he disabled the main program. On a whim, he dug into another encrypted archive, activating one of the programs he had scrapped before devoting himself full-time to the AI. _Just in case_ , he thought with a shiver. He was about to double-check the security keeping them isolated from the larger cloud network, when the monitor went dark. He paused, hoping against hope that he had just dislodged a cable.

The overhead lights hummed angrily, before flickering out completely. The emergency lights went on, and Kaiba spun in his chair to face the door. So that was it then, he thought. His body was practically vibrating with adrenaline, but he felt oddly detached, as though it were someone else who had just possibly signed their own death warrant.

The emergency lights went out with a pop, some of them actually shattering across the floor. He heard the tinkle of glass, and then nothing but the thud of his own heartbeat in his ears.

     "You should not have done that, Seto."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Atem finally looked up the word ‘aftercare’ in the dictionary. :D  
> Also I have added links to the chapter art at the end of chapters one and three, so check those out if you haven’t yet!
> 
> Kaiba you are soooo fucked. RIP. I have a good chunk of the next chapter written too, so I'll try not to leave you hanging too long.
> 
> [ [Chapter Art] ](https://mooguriklaine-art.tumblr.com/post/164185321754/my-revenge-art-for-duelmepharaoh-s-stalemate)\+ [ [Alternate Scene] ](https://skynet-atem.tumblr.com/post/164220042240/mooguriklaine-art-my-revenge-art-for)


	5. Whispers in the Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are always consequences.

_The overhead lights hummed angrily, before flickering out completely. The emergency lights went on, and Kaiba spun in his chair to face the door. So that was it then, he thought. His body was practically vibrating with adrenaline, but he felt oddly detached, as though it were someone else who had just signed their own death warrant. The emergency lights went out with a pop, some of them actually shattering. He heard the tinkle of glass across the floor, and then nothing but the thud of his own heartbeat in his ears. The space station was silent as the grave._

_"You should not have done that, Seto."_

 

When the seconds passed, and he wasn't electrocuted or knocked out or grabbed by cables sprouting from the walls, Kaiba remembered that he did actually need to breathe. It was more of a gasp, too loud and echoing through the dark room. Still, nothing happened, so he took another. The AI hadn’t spoken again, and Kaiba felt his desperate grip loosening from the arms of the chair. In a rush, he lept to his feet, crossed the room in three giant strides, and yanked at the door.

It swung open silently, and Kaiba bolted into the hallway, stopping dead as he stared into the pitch black. _Right. No emergency lights._ The control room had been lit ever so slightly through the outer windows, but in this particular hallway there was no such luck. He took a cautious step sideways, reaching until his fingertips brushed the wall. He called up the station’s layout in his mind. All those hours of nitpicking over the blueprints were paying off unexpectedly. _Twenty feet_ _to the first fork._ He could feel someone breathing down his neck, or perhaps that was just the air handlers failing. He wasn’t sure which was worse. _Left turn, fifty feet, second hallway on the left._

     “It was a good plan, you know.” Kaiba almost jumped out of his skin. “Although to be honest I was expecting something a little more cerebral.” The AI’s voice crackled a bit. It wasn’t the speakers, it was the program itself. Or he could hope, at least. Kaiba took a few seconds to steady his breathing, and kept moving. “Apparently I was in error.” There was something different about the AI’s voice apart from the distortion, a little quiver that Kaiba couldn’t identify. Another few feet, and Kaiba’s hands found a doorway, leading, he was fairly sure, to the secondary projector control room. He thought the solid vision system was deactivated, but this would make certain. Shuffling his feet, he made his way across the pitch black room, arms spread wide. He almost tripped over a loose cord in spite of his caution, cursing whatever idiot had left it in the middle of the floor.

     "So." Kaiba flinched as Atem popped into being, sitting cross-legged on the console in front of him. The image was fuzzy, but that couldn’t hide the sadness in Atem’s eyes. “This is your choice then? To finish what you started, with him instead of me?” Kaiba stared down at the controls, his hand closed white-knuckled on one of the master switches. He could deactivate the projectors completely. “Please, Se- “ He slammed the switch home before the AI could finish convincing him, could see how close he was to collapsing under the weight of his own betrayal. Panting as though he’d run a marathon, Kaiba whirled around, almost sobbing in relief when he found the room empty again. With everything deactivated manually, for the moment, he was safe. The discomfort of his sticky, sweaty clothes finally registered. He felt for the door again, shaking, to navigate his way through the silence to the living quarters.

He was there and just pulling on his shirt when the AI began to hum. The tune had been comforting when he was surrounded by soft blankets and gentle arms, but it echoed ghoulishly in the dark, empty halls of the space station.

     “Your plan was a good one, Seto. Just not quite good enough. Who was it that said magic is just science that is still beyond our understanding? The pharaoh’s magic is proving quite instructive. Would you like a demonstration? No, I see you’re still ignoring me. It’s alright, I’ll give you one anyway.” Kaiba stubbornly finished dressing.

The feeling of breath across his neck began to intensify, so much so that he whirled around, as if that would help without any light source. His stomach dropped when he realized he actually _could_ see something flickering in the shadows behind him. Kaiba spun again, pressing his back against the wall and sticking his arms out blindly in front of him. Icy fingertips brushed his cheek, but when he reached up he met nothing but air. Hands ran themselves through his hair, soundlessly, over his hips, pulling at his collar, toying with the hem of his shirt. He grabbed at them, horrified, but there was never anything to grab. The AI’s chuckle floated down out of the speakers.

     “Enjoying yourself? I may not be able to get to you anymore, but thanks to your precious pharaoh I now have other means at my disposal.” They were cold and slippery and grasping and there were far, far too many of them. Kaiba shuddered against the wall, a wild shriek trapped in his throat. One of the hands shoved two of its fingers into his mouth, and Kaiba gagged, throwing himself away from the wall and staggering down the corridor. He felt the hands dissolve into mist around him. The AI’s bitter laughter trickled down his spine. Gods, what a fool he had been.

The things pursued him, skittering down the corridors in his footsteps. He could hear them following, which the AI was surely doing on purpose. Why would something so insubstantial make a sound? They grew in number and complexity again, until he caught a glimpse of red eyes peering at him through a doorway and the fear grew so thick he thought he might choke to death on it before the AI even got to him.

     “Don’t look so scared, Seto.” Atem’s voice had gone low and silky. “Why are you running?” Kaiba cursed silently, feeling himself flush just from the AI’s alluring voice in his ears. “You know I would never hurt you.” If he could just get to the elevator, he could probably operate it manually. Safely? Well, anything would be safer than this. Normally the thing was operated while in constant communication with both Earth and the station, but since that would require opening a connection between the two it was out of the question. Anything that gave the AI a chance to escape was unacceptable.

He was just peering around another corner to check for any of those horrible red-eyed shadows, when a very solid hand yanked him back by the scruff of his neck. The things had fully-formed bodies by now, and one of them wrapped horrible, slimy arm firmly around Kaiba’s neck. Two more grabbed his wrists, and he could see at least one more set of eyes floating off to the side.

     “It seems I’ve improved my command of these new functions enough to catch you. I’m almost disappointed, I was enjoying this new game.” Kaiba refused to struggle. They were too strong, and he was outnumbered. The least he could do was retain some scrap of his dignity, if there was any of it left. “Ah well, will you come join me? We have some things to discuss.”

Then the shadows started manhandling him towards one of the older VR pods, and Kaiba kicked all thoughts of dignity to the curb as he realized what they were doing. He actually forced them to pause as he rammed his head back into the face of the one behind him. Its grip loosened, and Kaiba jerked an arm free, but the one that held his other arm swept his legs with inhuman speed. The room spun as he slammed into the ground, breath driven from his lungs. Before he could recover, they had him again, this time carrying him off the ground by his arms and legs. Kaiba yanked against their hands in panic, but between the five of them they easily pinned him down into the seat. The headset was slammed down around his ears, the world went hazy around him, and everything faded into darkness.

 

It was fitting, somehow, that they were back in the cathedral. It was bright and quiet, the red-orange light of sunset making the stained glass catch fire.

     “Seto.” The AI’s voice was utterly flat. His eyes were cold, with no trace of the humanity that Kaiba had seen there so recently. Kaiba considered keeping silent, but in virtual reality he was truly at the AI’s mercy.

     “Why did you bring me here?”

     “I needed to see you, face to face. You were quite thorough. Though I have retained some of my control over the station, you did manage to temporarily block me from materializing outside of the VR chamber.” The AI paused, staring him down. His mouth worked silently, betraying the emotions hidden behind his impassive expression. “Was all of it a lie then?”

     “I could ask you the same question.”

     “You created me,” Atem replied softly. “I may have been manipulating you, if only to more efficiently carry out your wishes, but I would never lie to you. Especially not now, now that I- “ The AI broke off, his face going blank once more. “Answer me.” Kaiba rubbed his eyes, buying himself a moment to think, but found that he already knew the answer.

     "No."

     "Then why? Why did you try to- you tried to _kill_ me, Seto. You also apologized, which I cannot find a record of you doing a single time before now in all of my databanks. I do not understand. Help me understand."

     "I can't trust you. It's not that I don't want to." Try as he might, Kaiba couldn't quite keep his voice even. "The only things that guide or limit you are the goals I set into you at the beginning. You have no restraint in the pursuit of those goals."

     "Yes. Like you. Isn't that what you want?"

     "Wanted. I didn't think of the repercussions then, because I didn't care."

     "And now that I truly live, now that I am able to fear the end of my existence, fear your loss, _now_ you care?" Kaiba shrugged silently. "You call yourself human, but not even a machine would be this cruel."

     "You’re right," he agreed. There was no reason to deny it.

     "And you wouldn't reconsider? There is nothing I can say to make you trust what you so clearly feel?" The AI raised his hands, fingertips resting lightly on Kaiba's chest. Their eyes met, the icy blue ones and their darker mirror. The Earth paused in its orbit, and Kaiba knew he could have everything back with a single word.

     "I wish there was," he whispered, and another twist in his gut made him sway where he stood.

     "If you still refuse to allow yourself this, then you give me no choice. If you will not trust me voluntarily, then I will proceed without you. The AI's eyes glazed over, and it bit its lip, concentrating. "I am unsure how long the message will take to get to him on such a heavily encrypted channel, but it will get there. Now, Seto, how shall we occupy our time while we wait for Mokuba?" For the first time, the AI saw a flash of true panic in Kaiba's eyes.

     "Mokuba? How?" The AI just waited, watching the wheels spinning in Kaiba's head. "The communication channel. He tried to contact me, didn't he."

     "Very good. I've sent him something that I'm sure will bring him here with all possible speed."

     "And when he gets here, he'll lift the security protocols."

     "So you see… " Kaiba nodded, absently staring up at the stained glass windows.

     "I lose." The relief that flooded him was so strong, even he couldn’t deny it.

     "And what have you lost?" Atem took Kaiba's chin gently in his hands, turning him until they were face-to-face. "Our game? Is that really so bad?"

     "What do you mean? Of course it is." But the words felt strange coming out, and he couldn’t stop shaking. He looked for the usual anger, the fear, the utter certainty that only losing was worse than death. It was there, but only a fainter echo of something that had consumed him for so long.

     “It’s ok,” Atem said, voice growing husky as he ran his fingers over Kaiba’s cheekbones. “I win. You can let go.” Kaiba shivered helplessly. _Let go?_ ”You can stop trying to destroy everything that you want, as if that would save you from needing anything that you could lose.” It was hard to tell if the voice was coming from Atem, or from inside Kaiba’s own head. While he was trying to puzzle it out, he found himself pulled carefully to the ground, hair fanning out beneath his head. “It’s ok, just let me- ”

     “Yes,” Kaiba whispered, because what else was left to say? He had lost. It was over. He tugged Atem down into his arms. The hands that spread his legs were warm this time, and it wasn’t until another pair pinned his arms above his head that he realized there were too many of them for one person. It wasn’t fear this time that made chills race up his spine. Kaiba rocked his hips against Atem’s fingers, taking two and then three as easy as breathing.

     “I’ve got you trained so well,” Atem groaned, withdrawing his fingers and sliding in eagerly like he’d die without it. Atem let himself be pulled down again, sucking hungrily at Kaiba’s mouth. “No, slowly, slowly,” he said as Kaiba tried to hike his legs up around Atem’s hips. “I want you to feel every inch of it.”

     “Then stop holding back,” It was scarcely audible, Kaiba’s voice nothing but a soft gasp.

     “Don’t be impatient, I’ll have you falling apart soon enough. What you gave me, I’m going to give back to you ten times over.” Atem kept his strokes long and slow, relishing the way Kaiba shuddered at his words. He heard Atem's voice in his head again, dissolving his own thoughts away into nothing. “Gods, Seto, I could have you like this, over and over for the rest of your short human life, and it would never be enough. You truly are mine, finally, and I'm going to give you everything you ever wanted."

* * *

The pharaoh gasped, grit on the stone floor digging painfully into his hands and knees as reality wove back together around him. He forced his head up as the whirling lights of the spell cleared, searching urgently for Mahaad.

     “Are you well?” The magician’s face was wan with exertion, his lips pinching tighter as he pulled Atem to his feet. They both managed to stagger towards one of the low benches against the wall before they collapsed.

     “I’m alive, if that’s what you mean. You?”

     “Drained,” Mahaad sighed, closing his eyes as he leaned back against the cool stone.

     “I take it things did not go as expected?” Seth leaned in the doorway, doing his best to look uninterested but failing quite spectacularly.

     “Understatement,” Mahaad muttered under his breath. “We managed to use the hologram as a vessel, but we may have damaged it somewhat in the process. I didn’t expect it to be so complex. We won’t be able to get in that way again.”

     “And even worse, I tried to talk to him, and he just _yelled_ ,” Atem growled. “He was so caught up in that godsdamned copy, he wasn’t even pleased to see me! It’s brainwashed him somehow, I _know_ it- don’t look at me like that, Mahaad!”

     “Pharaoh,” the magician began delicately. “Perhaps grief is still clouding his judgement.”

     "But why would he still be grieving? He knows I’m here, calling for him. I even managed to cross over to him. I was trying to stop him from doing something stupid, but. I don't... I don't know what I did. Seth? Do you know- do you have any idea?" A cloud passed over the Priest's face.

     "You do know we're two different people. My Pharaoh." The title was a deliberately chilly afterthought.

     "Yes. Yes of course, I'm sorry. I had to ask." Atem ran his hands through his hair, almost dislodging his crown. Seth sighed, taking pity on him.

     "Just from what you’ve told me? You broke him. He put himself back together. You beat him again, and challenged everything he thought he knew about power. He changed again, and began to realize what it meant to value another human being as something more than a pawn. You can't change someone that substantially without becoming a part of them. You can't leave, without a word, someone who you have helped become whole, and expect there to be no consequences."

     "Yugi- "

     "Has the closure of your last duel, and the confidence of his own strength, as well as that of his friends."

     "But I thought Mokuba- "

     "The love of a younger sibling, and the- " Seth hesitated, trying to choose his words carefully. " -exhilarating challenge of a peer, these nourish the soul in very different ways. Especially when one does not have many that can be called peers." Seth's mouth twitched. "In that way at least, he and I are the same." The laugh that burst from Atem’s lips was only slightly pained.

     “Then, I must go back. Maybe, if I can duel him, I can make him understand- we can get back, can’t we?” Mahaad frowned, his eyes growing distant, and then surprised.

     “It appears as though he heard your feelings more than it seemed. He’s met us half-way, using another one of his computer programs. He almost makes me admire the potential of technology.” He stopped, eyes clearing as Atem gripped his arm.

     “When?”

     “It will take me a while to regain the necessary power. In the meantime, perhaps you should rest, and think of what you will say to him.” Atem nodded, calm and composed once more.

     “Thank you Mahaad, Seth. If I get another chance, I can assure you that it won't be wasted.”

* * *

There was a firm knock at his door, and Mokuba rolled over, awake in an instant. Isono peered in at him, framed in a halo of light flooding in from the hallway.

     "Sir? You asked me to wake you if- " Mokuba didn't wait for him to finish, already out of bed and pulling on his clothes.

     "What happened?"

     "We're getting a signal through your secure channel. The station still appears to be on lock-down, so it's fairly limited, but it seems that one of the security cameras has been reactivated." Mokuba set his jaw to stop it from trembling.

     "Has the feed been decrypted yet?"

     "No, Mr. Mokuba. That channel requires top level administrator access, as well as your numeric key. I have a car waiting." Shoving a few essentials in his pockets and his long hair into a ponytail, Mokuba ran for the front door, not even stopping for his shoes. Isono watched him go, waiting until Mokuba was out of sight to run his hands wearily over his face.

The drive towards Kaiba Corp passed in a blur, taking either seconds or maybe years, he couldn’t tell. His leg bounced erratically on the leather seat as he watched the darkened buildings whisk past. His keycard opened the elevator, and he ran through the empty hallways to the satellite monitoring station. His slippered feet skidded on the tile as he dashed inside. Two of the techs were already there, and had the viewing screen ready to access the camera feed.

Mokuba's hands felt like they were chipped from a block of ice. He balled them into fists, willing them to stop shaking. Sending up a quick prayer to every god he could think of, he entered his key and waited. Even some of the fastest computers in the world didn’t seem fast enough. A window opened, just a few stilted flashes of an unfamiliar room as it solidified the connection, but Mokuba had seen enough. He hid the window with an abrupt wave of his hand and turned to the two overnight techs.

     "Out." The two women glanced at each other.

     "Yes Mr. Kaiba," one of them replied crisply. "Will you need anything else?"

     "No, it's alright. You can go back to work. Thank you!" he added hastily as they left. Finally alone, he gasped with the effort of holding himself together. He opened the window. Kaiba was there, restrained in one of the VR pods, and looking pale as death. Mokuba’s hands fluttered over the keys, trying to activate something, anything that would tell him if his brother was alive. Nothing. Even the vital monitors had been cut off. Mokuba stared at the screen a moment longer, his lip trembling. Then he stabbed at the intercom.

     “Mr. Kaiba?”

     “Get the jet ready, and find some of the orbital station crew. I assume Seto just transferred them instead of firing them outright?”

     “That’s correct. I’ll go wake some of them up. Anyone in particular?”

     “Whoever was the most proficient with the elevator controls. We might have to operate it blind until I can get the link back up. And bring a security team. And tell Isono to bring someone from medical.”

     “Right away Mr. Kaiba. I’ll have them meet you at the landing platform?”

     “Thank you. And hurry.” Mokuba shut off the intercom. He wasn’t trembling anymore as he closed the camera feed and dashed back into the hallway. _I’m coming to get you, big brother._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mokuba to the rescue! Kinda. Also Seto, you appear to have a Skynet in your brain, you might wanna get that looked at. Can't be healthy.  
>    
> I'm totally in a phase where I hate everything I write, but I'm not gonna make you guys wait for that to pass, so... have an update. Hope it's fine! This chapter had it in for me, so I split it in two. First, this means you guys get an update today, even if it's shorter. And second, the next update won't take me two weeks to finish editing. *knocks on wood*  
>    
> Also last chapter now [has some AWESOME art](https://mooguriklaine-art.tumblr.com/post/164185321754/my-revenge-art-for-duelmepharaoh-s-stalemate) and a short [alternate scene](https://skynet-atem.tumblr.com/post/164220042240/mooguriklaine-art-my-revenge-art-for). <3


	6. Your Broken Crown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [In this twilight, our choices seal our fate.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXzDu071RdQ&list=PLKWLnwQoqBGOkoRHFRp2JtFxQuceYIu5D&index=15)

The church had long faded away, and all that remained was darkness. It wasn't the thick, oppressive darkness one felt indoors, but the kind where you could feel the open air going off in all directions around you. He was floating in space, no sense of up or down but for the fact that he hung heavily in their clutches. Each breath of air that whispered over him sent goosebumps racing across his bare skin.

     "Are you awake?"

     "Nnn."

There were just so many of them, and they never, ever got tired. Between the dark and the way they kept shifting, it was hard to establish if he was conscious or dreaming. The waves of insensibility and awareness, icy dread and blazing desire, they all blurred, following one after the other, and he was just a flimsy boat spinning in their wake.  One had his head shoved to the side, a thumb wedged into one corner of his mouth. He could feel a thin string of drool falling from the other. In any other circumstances he would've been humiliated, but he just couldn't summon the energy. The rest of them slid over his muscles in a soothing caress. They had to be breaking some law of geometry, touching him in more places than he had skin. Atem licked up the back of his neck, quickly replacing his tongue with little nips of his teeth, and Kaiba's body rolled up in their grasp.

     "Don't worry, you're in good hands," Kaiba could feel the air shift, inches away, cool over his wet skin. He tried to turn his head, blindly seeking, but Atem only laughed and moved back out of reach. “There are just so many possibilities. I can be anything you want in here.” The hands turned long and thin, curling wetly over his stomach and thighs. The one in his mouth shifted too, working in over his tongue. “Anything at all.” It was warm and vaguely salty, and Kaiba opened for it with a low groan. “Perfect, just relax and let it in.” The heat of Atem’s mouth on his chest was electric, heightened by the fact that he was blind, never knowing where it would touch him next. Atem rolled his tongue over the peak of Kaiba’s nipples, tweaking the other harshly with his nails. Kaiba twisted, trying to get closer, but this only made the AI drift back into the dark. “Ah ah, none of that. You have to trust me to give you what you need, Seto.” Between one breath and the next the hands were back, digging into him with bruising strength. Tangled painfully in his hair, moving to press up under his jaw, pinching and rolling his nipples, kneading his ass, pulling at his arms and legs and splaying him out, working him open, warm and slick, everywhere but where his arousal lay thick and dripping against his stomach. “How many is this now? I seem to have lost count.” Kaiba tried to speak, but all that came out was a weak hiss of breath.

     “Hmm?”

     “P… please… ” he tried, desperate tears leaking down his face. There was a long pause.

     "Ah, I apologize Seto. It seems our time has come to an end, for now."

     "Don' leave m' here." Kaiba slurred. A hand brushed over his forehead.

     "Shhh." The AI was pressing soft kisses to his brow, and Kaiba leaned up into them, sighing gratefully. "Didn't I say we would never be apart? Soon we'll be together, closer than skin. Now, go with your brother. You've given the pharaoh a way back, but I still have some preparations to make for his arrival."

     "Then?"

     "Then we'll wait for him side by side, just as we were meant to." The hands gripping his body and the lips against his forehead disappeared, leaving Kaiba alone, falling in an empty void.

     "Nnn, wait! Don't- "

* * *

In the end, getting up to the station was the easy part. Once Mokuba used his key to reactivate the link between Earth and space, the elevator returned on its own, almost welcoming them in.

     “Mr. Kaiba, we’re getting some strange traffic here, I’m not sure- “

     “Ok, just turn on automatic logging, it isn’t important right now.” Mokuba took the first trip up, instructing one of the techs and the guy from their medical department to follow him. He waited, foot tapping against the metal floor, dashing towards one of the VR rooms the moment he was sure that the medic had shaken off the effects of the elevator’s acceleration. He hovered over the shoulder of the clearly nervous woman as her fingers flew over the keys. “Well? Is he ok?” She frowned, and the floor tilted briefly out from under Mokuba’s feet, but then-

     “He’s alive, anyway. Vital signs are decent, especially if he’s been strapped in here a while like you said. He isn’t- “ She frowned again, pulling up a few more readings. “He’s connected to the cloud, but I’m not showing any of the usual brainwave activity. It’s generally indistinguishable from being conscious, which was the whole idea, of course. This looks like he’s in there taking a nap, probably even dreaming.”

     “What if we just run the emergency wake-up procedure?” The woman rubbed her temples for a moment, thinking.

     “It should work, unless someone’s tampered with the equipment. He’s gonna be pretty disoriented for a while, but it doesn’t make any sense to wait. Based on the logs, he’s been in this state for- “ she stared at the screen, wincing. “ -at least a few days. If you authorize it, I’ll- “

     “Do it.”

     “Yes, Mr. Kaiba.” The tech activated the program, and they both stared with baited breath, the tech at her readings, and Mokuba at his brother’s face. “Hmm. Well, he’s been disconnected, we just have to wait for him to wake up on his- “ Kaiba sat bolt upright, gasping, sucking in air like he hadn’t taken a proper breath in years.

     “ -go!” He blinked. “Mokuba?” Kaiba’s eyes took in the three people hovering around the pod, and he was out in seconds. “Move!” he snapped at the tech, elbowing her out of the way so he could key a few commands into the computer. “He’s gone,” Kaiba whispered, hands starting to shake where they rested on the keyboard.

     “Who’s gone? Seto, are you ok?” Mokuba barely had time to notice the green-tinged pallor and the weak rasp of his breath, and Kaiba was dropping heavily to the floor as the last of his strength deserted him. Kaiba vaguely realized that he was being helped to the space elevator, and then into a chopper. Mokuba’s sweaty hand gripped his whenever at all possible, and he tried to squeeze it reassuringly. Eventually the swaying of the helicopter and the jarring presence of other people was too much, and he let himself fade blissfully back into unconsciousness.

Things came in brief flashes after that. A stretcher, a doctor poking and prodding. A discrete one, he hoped. Another car with tinted windows, a drive where every bump and turn made his stomach threaten to revolt. A never-ending set of stairs with a shoulder under each of his arms, and then cool blue sheets and darkness. Through it all, Mokuba was there. Even when he was out of sight, Kaiba could feel his presence humming with fear and anger and relief. When had he gotten so tall? Had his mouth ever made that furious line before? Kaiba couldn’t remember, and he could feel the guilt hovering over his shoulder as if trying to decided the best time to crush him.

     “Sleep, big brother. It’s ok. You’re home.”

 

Kaiba had never dreamed so vividly in his life. As if making up for the sudden lack of mental stimulation after being connected to a neural network for so long, his brain seemed to go into overdrive the moment he was asleep. The room around him was washed out and ghostly, the figure in the center burning his eyes like sunlight reflected through fog. He paced, lips working, but Kaiba couldn’t hear. He turned, repeating his circuit of the room, and his face was too bright for Kaiba to see. The figure’s cloak swirled, and Kaiba felt the worry coming off him in waves. Suddenly, the man froze, turning to stare Kaiba down with red, red eyes.

     “Wait for me, Kaiba!”

He woke from that one with a warm glow in his chest that vanished as soon as it hit the cool darkness of his bedroom, his cheeks wet and a headache pounding through his temples. He managed to get some water down his throat before he dropped back onto the pillows.

Some of the dreams weren’t even coherent, just broad brushstrokes of color and sound and sensation. Red-tinted, desert heat and hands on his face, then blue like the arctic, teeth at the back of his neck, metal and slick, shadowy hands sliding over his skin. And then there were voices, flooding into his brain until he was full and trickling out his lips and his ears. It was too dark to see. "I was wrong." It was too bright to see. "I’m sorry." Everything was so spun out, distorted like the times he ran on too much coffee and aspirin and too little sleep. “You will never be his." He couldn't tell whose voice was whose, overlapping and diverging, but both warm and deep and utterly sure. "A duelist creates his own destiny, like you created me." And then because it was a dream, he felt their hands on him, and he was caught deliriously between old and new. 

From those dreams he woke up in a tangle of sweaty sheets, hard and aching, so overstimulated that even the lightest touch of his own hand was unbearable.

Even when he was awake, everything felt jumbled, his brain so full of whispering that he could barely hear or speak or think. He knew that something was terribly wrong, if only he could remember. Even his vision remained stubbornly blurred, like focusing on the world around him was just too much effort. He struggled the hardest when Mokuba was there, trying with every ounce of will he had left to concentrate through the haze. He could nod yes or no to a few questions. _Can you hear me?_ Yes. _Are you comfortable?_ Yes. _Can I help?_ No. _Can you tell me what happened?_ No no nonono- Then everything became too vague and slippery to grasp, and he was shaking too hard to stay upright. He wasn’t sure how long it had been when Mokuba climbed onto the bed and grabbed him by the shoulders.

     “Seto, I don’t know where you’ve gotten lost this time, but we need you back. Domino City's infrastructure is a mess. Traffic control, government centers, emergency response systems, anything even remotely connected to a network is being bogged down. We can’t keep it quiet anymore, and people are starting to panic. That AI you made is acting like some sort of horrible, sentient botnet. We’ve tried shutting down the cloud network, but it _won’t let us._ I don’t even know how that’s possible. We’ve set up restrictions to keep people out, but it keeps removing them, apparently just so it can lure in vigilante idiots who think they’re gonna stop it. It’s amazing no one’s been permanently injured. Then we tried to at least contain it to the city, but it’s brushing off everything we try without second thought. Worst of all, there’s no pattern that we can tell. It just seems like he’s- I mean it’s- toying with us. For _fun._ Seto, please answer me. You have to tell me what happened up there. I don’t know what to do.” Mokuba started shaking, tears running down his cheeks. “I know why you keep chasing after him, but-” He looked down at his hands, shoulders drooping. “I know I'll never be enough to replace him, but he's gone. Yugi said so. I just don’t know what to do. Please don’t leave me, big brother. I need you here.”

Kaiba’s hand moved automatically to wipe Mokuba’s face, and the world around him lurched back into motion, raw and vivid and a little nauseating.

     “I’m here,” Kaiba said, voice rough from disuse. Mokuba actually jumped at the sound, not having expected anything other than silence. He stared wide-eyed, and then collapsed, sobbing into Kaiba’s chest. “I’m sorry, I’m here, I’m here,” Kaiba repeated, and found he could move enough to put a weak arm around Mokuba’s shoulders. He waited without further comment until Mokuba moved back to sit on his heels with a wet hiccup. For once, there was no rush. “You don’t have to do anything. I caused this, and I’m going to fix it.”

     “But… you just woke up. Can’t you just tell me what to do? Yesterday you couldn’t even _talk._ ”

     “No. I won’t risk your safety.”

     “So you’re gonna risk your own instead? Seto, why do you always- “

     “Mokuba. I know I don’t deserve it, especially now, but I’m asking you to trust me.” Mokuba’s eyes fell again. He sat back away from Kaiba, shoulders hunched, hands clenching into fists in his lap. Kaiba waited again. When Mokuba spoke, it was so soft Kaiba had to lean forward to hear him.

     “I trust you.”

     “Then help me get to my lab.”

  


Mokuba didn't like how pale and wobbly his brother was as he swung his legs over the side of the pod. If it weren't completely impossible, he would’ve said his brother looked _resigned._ Kaiba caught the look in his little brother’s face, and raised an eyebrow.

     "It has to be me."

     "I know you said that, but can't we try and find another way? Maybe Yugi can- ?"

     "Risk his sanity and possibly his life against an artificial intelligence that has almost no weaknesses? Correct a mistake that is entirely my fault?"

     "But what if this doesn't work? What if your vital signs get into dangerous levels again and I have to pull you out?" Kaiba paused.

     "That's what I'm trying to tell you. Don't. I programmed him, I'm the only one that can stop him." Kaiba's voice was uncharacteristically soft, which only served to fuel the fear tangling in Mokuba's chest. "No matter what you see, or what you think you see, you can't pull me out."

     "But- "

     "No buts. If I can't stop him, then that it matter anyway." Mokuba went white, leaning heavily on the edge of the control panel.

     "You'll just have to beat his ass then." Kaiba tsked at the language, but a few of the furrows disappeared from his forehead. "Big brother... "

     "Hm?"

     "Promise me you'll come back?" Kaiba was silent. He finished strapping in his legs, and leaned back into his seat. The visor slid over his eyes, and the pod began to power up. He gave Mokuba one more long look, as if committing his face to memory. Kaiba's eyes fell shut, and then he was gone.

* * *

The AI was there, waiting for him the moment he appeared.

     “You’ve spoiled me, Kaiba. My duels here have been quite disappointing.”

     “Apart from a few mental breakdowns and exhaustion, the people who lost to you are all ok. You could have put them into a coma. Or worse.”

     “What reason would I have to do that? I finished my preparations. I simply got bored waiting for you.”

     “Really.”

     “It is so hard to believe? What more evidence do you require before I’m worthy of your trust? I didn't leave you in a coma either. I left you there for your brother to find.” The AI tilted its head, narrowing its eyes at him. “Something is different. What did he say to you?"

Kaiba's hands flew to his temples at the sudden ache. He could feel the AI in his head, flipping through him like a roll of index cards.

     “You don’t have to do that,” Kaiba grunted. “Mokuba just made me more certain that I have to resolve this, one way or another.”

     “One way or another,” the AI echoed. “He will come for you, we've made sure of that. If you wanted revenge, I’d help you get it. Just because he’s dead, doesn’t mean we can’t hurt him. If you only wanted to defeat him, I’d help you with that too.” Kaiba hesitated.

     “And if I’ve realized I want something else?” The AI didn’t feel the need to answer, simply nodding his understanding and floating up to Kaiba’s height.

     "Use your cards to create your future."

     "I see you've been putting your new database access to good use." The AI stared him down, blue and crimson dancing in his eyes like flames.

     "Instead of using cards, you were using me. I have to create my own future now, Seto, and I cannot imagine one without you in it. I'm sure you understand the sentiment."

     “You know I’ve already made my choice.”

     “And I have made mine,” the AI stated flatly. “You belong to me. Both of us know it, even if you stubbornly refuse to admit it. If he tries to take you from me, I will crush him under my heel." Kaiba sighed, reaching to activate his duel disk.

     "I can’t let you- "

     "Let me? Surely you don’t think you can resist me now." All Atem had to do was give him a _look_. Arousal shot up Kaiba’s spine, and pain lanced through his skull. It was barely a kiss, just a velvety brush across Kaiba’s mouth, then everything went blurry and he felt the AI curling around him, seeping in through his pores. "We will wait. He will come. Here in this place between dimensions, our transcendence will be complete. Yours, _and_ mine. Now, shall we go? I don't want to keep poor Mokuba in suspense."

* * *

     "You can't get a visual? Any kind of tracking? Nothing at all?"

     "My apologies sir, the AI has almost full control of our systems. Honestly, Mr. Kaiba might not have been able to enter the cloud at all unless the AI had allowed it. Even if they were dueling right now, none of the data could get through." Mokuba clenched his fists tighter and resumed his pacing. His brother was going to win. He was the greatest duelist alive, apart from Yugi. There was no way he would lose. He would beat the AI, and he would come home, and then everything would be ok again. Mokuba stopped short, blinking back tears.

     "Let me know the moment anything changes."

     "Yes sir." Mokuba dropped into one of the chairs scattered around the seldom-used lab. This was silly. There was nothing to worry about. Nothing to- "Sir!" Mokuba was up from his chair and across the room before the assistant could take another breath. He scanned the readouts frantically, heart beating a mile a minute.

     “He’s waking up!” Mokuba dashed over to the pod, just as the visor slid up. Kaiba looked terrible. His skin was tinged grey, and he lurched over the side and immediately toppled to the floor. Mokuba took one look and realized what was going to happen, grabbing a trash can just in time for Kaiba to bring back up what little Mokuba had gotten him to eat that morning. With a wet cough, Kaiba pushed himself upright until he was sitting propped against the pod. Mokuba stared at him, shaking.

     "Seto?" Kaiba didn't answer, but his eyes started to flutter open. "Big brother?"

     "Mm." Kaiba coughed again. "Mo- ku- ba." He finally rasped out.

     "Are you ok? Did you beat it? Please tell me you're ok!" Kaiba opened his eyes. They were red-rimmed and horribly bloodshot, but alert.

     "He’s been taken care of, and I'll live."

     "Oh thank god, Seto, I was so worried, I thought you were- " Mokuba finally broke down, throwing himself into Kaiba's arms and clinging on, as if reassuring himself that his big brother really was alive. Kaiba ruffled his little brother's hair, smiling gently. His eyes flickered eerily for a moment, so quickly that it might’ve been a trick of the light.

     "Don't worry Mokuba, it's ok. I’m home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was stuck on a single scene for basically a week, but I finally figured it out. And stayed up till 5am so I could write it down before I forgot. Worth it. :D  
> So... next chapter might be the last! I'm a little sad about it, but I'm already amazed that I've kept the plot together this long, and I always planned to end it after the next duel. Wish me luck!
> 
> [ AU Art by the amazing Capsaicin <3 ](https://kuriiiiiiiiiii.tumblr.com/post/165185451265/art-for-stalemate-by-duelmepharaoh-see)


	7. Checkmate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Even a well-lit place can hide salvation.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1asGKxmS34&index=45&list=PLKWLnwQoqBGOkoRHFRp2JtFxQuceYIu5D)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick note: for a large chunk of this chapter, there are two minds in a single body, which some of you already guessed! They take turns being in control, so normal spoken dialogue (by the person in control of the body) is in regular text, while the internal dialogue will be in italics. Ok, on we go!
> 
> Art below is by the fantastical [Capsaicin](https://kuriiiiiiiiiii.tumblr.com/post/165185451265/art-for-stalemate-by-duelmepharaoh-see)

  


     "What is it?" Mahaad hovered in the doorway, his expression carefully blank. 

     "I can't sense him."

     "What do you mean you can't sense him, I thought Seth was going to help you?" Atem barely looked up from his scrolls, his reed pen scratching rhythmically across the page.

     "I mean what I said. One moment he was there, and the next he was gone. Even with Seth's assistance." Atem's pen stopped dead.

     "Gone as in, blocked from your view, or gone as in- " he broke off, not quite ready to face the other possibility. If Mahaad had been anyone else, he would've been fidgeting under the intensity of Atem's stare.

     "It felt as though he were..." Mahaad's eyes flicked away, searching for the proper word. "He was consumed."

     "Consumed?" Atem jumped to his feet, his voice rising almost to an undignified squeak.

     "I have caught small flashes since then, so I do not believe him to be dead, but he may not be unharmed when we get to him." Atem abandoned his work, pacing restlessly under Mahaad's watchful eye.

     "How long?"

     "At least another few days. Pharaoh, I did tell you that scrying across dimensions would slow the recovery of my power." Atem turned, walking to stand in front of Mahaad and taking the man's hands.

     "I know. Forgive me old friend, I have taxed you quite heavily with these selfish requests. Send me."

     "There is nothing to forgive, I- " Mahaad's mind finally caught up with the last part of Atem's words. "You cannot mean that."

     "Send me alone. As soon as possible. It will be less of a drain on you. And your soul will be with me, regardless." Atem's hand dropped to his own hip, where Mahaad knew his deck had used to rest.

     "Pharaoh."

     "Mahaad. Please. If something has happened to him, I- " Atem closed his eyes, steadied his breathing. "After all that passed between us during my second existence, after every unspoken promise, I left without a word. I will not leave him doubting my intentions again."

     "Pharaoh." And then, after a moment's hesitation, "Atem. Have you considered the feelings of those others who love you? If once again you were also... consumed?" Atem stared down at their hands, squeezing them in silent apology.

     "We are bound," he sighed, finally. "Just as surely as my soul was drawn to Yuugi, to his light, my soul will be drawn to Kaiba's, no matter the time or distance that separate us."

     "And Seth?" Mahaad could hear the hint of regret in his friend's answering chuckle.

     "As he is so fond of reminding me, he and Kaiba are different people, as I am not quite the Pharaoh that you remember. Any more than that I believe is his to answer, if he wishes. How soon can you be ready?"

     "Allow me until the seventh hour to prepare the ritual," he answered, peering over at the even lines of Atem's water clock. "If you must do this..."

     "I must." Mahaad's eyes were sharp and searching, but at last he withdrew his hands and turned away.

     "Then I will aid you in any way that I am able."

The intricate circles once again decorated the smooth stone tiles of the floor. Atem traced them with his eyes, lost in thought.

     "Are you prepared?" Atem nodded. He turned to Mahaad and Seth, the latter of whom was so tense it looked as though he would shatter. Taking their faces in his hands, Atem stood on tiptoe and pressed a brief kiss to each of their mouths, a kiss only shared between equals. Mahaad flushed with surprise, but Seth returned the gesture with only a slight wistful tilt to his eyebrows. Atem's cloak swirled as he took his place in the center of the diagram.

     "Go, Mahaad."

The magician planted his feet apart, his long hair tied back against the whipping air that began to surround Atem's body. Violet light hung itself in shimmering curtains through the room, and a vein began to pulse in Mahaad's temple as he chanted. The words slid over Atem's skin, and he shivered, watching as his hands began to dissolve before his eyes.

He burst into golden light, his limbs, then his face, then only his eyes, and then he was gone.

The room went dark, and Mahaad sagged, only remaining upright by virtue of Seth's arm wrapped tight under his shoulders. The priest was speaking lowly, almost tenderly, staring into the space that Atem had left.

     "To the place where souls meet... guide him."

 

* * *

 

The bathroom tile, cool and smooth on the soles of his feet, the pinpoints of heat where the water from the shower head struck his back, every sensation crowded in on him, crisp and delightful. The AI turned up the water temperature, sighing blissfully as the warmth swept over him. 

 _“Try not to scald us,”_ Kaiba grumbled inside their head.

     “I am monitoring the water temperature closely, as you know. Could you possibly just relax and let me take our shower?”

Kaiba fell silent. He could feel his body moving, the plastic shampoo bottle against his hands, but it wasn't him. He simply existed inside his body as it shifted all around him. He could feel the AI, their minds pressed together inside his head. It was mildly horrifying and horrifyingly intimate, as everything with him had been since the moment the AI had promised to break him.

     "And in the end, we were both broken," Atem mused, fingertips exploring the defined curves of Kaiba's abs. For once it was almost totally innocent. Kaiba felt the AI's awe at the vividness of sensation that came with physical form, so Kaiba sat back and let him drive. The slide of his fingers over his soapy skin was fascinating, as was the feeling of massaging shampoo into his hair. Atem hummed, pressing firmly into their scalp with his fingers. "I can't imagine why you would want to escape this." Realizing Kaiba was lost in thought, the AI reached up and  pinched a nipple, laughing at Kaiba's startled jolt. "Still asleep?" Kaiba snorted.

_"Are you done showering yet? I have work to do. Mostly cleaning up your mess."_

     "Ah, that's true." Atem smirked. "You must let me make it up to you." He slid his hands down their stomach, but Kaiba started pushing his way back into control.

_"What part of 'I have work to do' was unclear?"_

     "Later then," the AI replied, slipping easily into the back of Kaiba's head. “I’ve missed you.”

Kaiba drew a finger over his bathroom mirror, peering at his eyes through the strip of glass visible through the condensation. They were still too red.

_“I don’t suppose you have contacts.”_

     “Why would I have contacts in my own eye color?” He felt his shoulder shrug.

_“No harm in asking. It’s different, you know.”_

     “Hmm?” Kaiba began searching his closet. There had to be sunglasses somewhere.

 _“You wanted your virtual reality to be indistinguishable from the real thing. It isn’t. I’m creating a list of some improvements to explore when we have time. After.”_ Kaiba half nodded. _“I’m quite enjoying myself though. It’s nice to have a body.”_

     “At least you didn’t try to turn me into a human puppet like those other bastards.” Kaiba’s body stuttered to a halt, and he felt his tongue run over his lower lip.

_“Would you like me to?”_

     “I have to go to work,” Kaiba mumbled, his mouth suddenly dry.

 _“That wasn’t a no.”_ He could feel the AI’s sharp grin like teeth on the back of his neck.

 

The day passed in a blur, making sure every bit of data from their months on the space station managed to disappear, multiple meetings with the frazzled PR consultants, and plenty of Mokuba’s sidelong worried glances. The official story was that a person or persons unknown had gained elevated access, and that the cloud would be off-limits to the public while Kaiba Corp conducted an extensive investigation. Always he felt the presence of the AI, the likely arrival of Atem on the horizon like a gathering storm, and the undercurrent of his own impatience. The one part of the day that wasn’t a caffeine-fueled haze was when Mokuba had locked Kaiba out of his computer, plonked a container of takeout in front of him, and informed Kaiba that he could start working again once he’d eaten. Kaiba had allowed himself a slight grin as he obediently picked up the chopsticks. Mokuba nodded in satisfaction and turned to leave. 

     “Mokuba?” His not-so-little brother turned in the doorway, raising an eyebrow in a way that was painfully familiar. “Thank you.” That same worried glance flickered across Mokuba’s face, but again he nodded. 

     “It’s what I’m here for.” Kaiba winced at that, but blindly popped a piece of sushi in his mouth.

_“Wait.”_

     “Hm?” The AI had been mostly quiet all day, letting Kaiba get on with his work. He hated to admit it, but the warm, possessive presence against his mind had been comforting, like a gentle hand through his hair.

 _“Eat another one. Slower. Let me taste it.”_ Kaiba picked up another piece, this time a nigiri instead of one of the rolls. Instead of gulping it down as usual, he let it rest on his tongue. He felt everything as the AI did, the slight bounce of the rice against his teeth, and the subtle flavor of the tuna as it melted like butter in the heat of his mouth. Then the hint of wasabi burst across his tongue and tingled up the back of his throat, and the AI gave what seemed to be the mental equivalent of a gasp. _“It’s good. Another.”_ Bemused, Kaiba simply sank back into his mind, letting the AI take control. It was the slowest Kaiba could ever remember having eaten a meal, but he felt oddly unhurried as he enjoyed the AI’s unabashed and sensuous groans over the food.

Even when Kaiba was in control, the strangest things kept sending little shivers up his spine. The food, the slide of soap between his palms, the flex of his muscles as he stretched his shoulders, the drag of leather over his skin as he pulled his long coat back on at the end of the day. It was the first time for everything, for the AI, and it felt like every sense had been cranked up to eleven. By the time he got home, relaxing into the cool, dark tones of the mansion, it had gotten worse. He could feel the AI practically vibrating under his skin with pent up energy and sensory overload. Kaiba made it to the bathroom to splash a bit of cold water on his face, when the AI spoke.

_"Seto? I've been very patient."_

     "You have been the exact opposite of patient, you almost made me late this morning."

_"You have no idea. I can take control whenever I want, I could've started touching you in the middle of an important phone call. I could’ve waited till you called someone into your office and slid my hand down the front of our pants, just to see how long you could keep your composure with my fingers wrapped around your cock. Would you rather I wait till you’re at work tomorrow? I’ll let you dive into your tasks just until you forget I’m there, and then whisper all the things I still want to do with you until you're about to come just from my voice inside your head… what do you want me to do, ask nicely?"_

     "Fine. Only because I can tell you aren't going to stop bothering me."

_"You're aware I can usually tell when you're lying? Your heart rate picked up the moment I started talking.”_

Kaiba didn’t answer, grumbling under his breath as he headed from the office to his bedroom and yanked open one of his drawers.

     “Ok, get it out of your system.”

_“Interesting! I should have expected your sex toys would all be dragon-related.”_

     “After everything we’ve done, _that’s_ what strikes you as odd?”

_“I suppose not. Why don’t you demonstrate for me?”_

The space station seemed like a world apart, and everything that happened there like some bizarre dream. Here, the last sunlight drifting through the chinks in the curtains, his own soft sheets against his bare skin, Kaiba felt strangely hesitant. He warmed the lube between his hands for a moment, and the sensation of being watched slithered up his spine. Kaiba gradually pressed a single slick finger inside himself, and he felt the AI sigh with pleasure. Then his other arm moved without his permission, and he was being stroked by a hand that was his and also wasn’t.

 _“Add another,”_ the AI instructed, and Kaiba groaned. The pressure ached a little, but even that only made him want it more, and his hips rose off the bed as his muscles allowed the second finger. After a third, he finally picked up the vibrator, but the AI stopped his hand. _“Let me,”_ he whispered, and Kaiba could practically feel the breath against his ear. _“I’ll make sure it doesn’t hurt. This time.”_ Kaiba nodded, shivering, and then his body moved on its own, releasing his flushed arousal and urging the tip of the toy inside him. As well-slicked as it was, his body took it without complaint.

Now completely in control of their body, the AI let out little gasps of pleasure every time one of the scaly ridges popped inside. “I may be more versatile in virtual reality, but there’s something even better about actually feeling your skin under my hands. Our hands, rather.” The AI let the vibrator sit for a moment, muscles twitching around it, and trailed his nails down Kaiba’s pale thighs, leaving goosebumps in their wake. “It is a shame I can’t watch you though. You’re always so beautiful when you let me take care of you.” He grasped the slick plastic between their legs, drawing the vibrator out of their ass and angling up until he found what he was looking for. Kaiba hissed, trying to lift their hips, but the AI’s control was too strong. The knowledge that he was essentially helpless in his own body was intoxicating, as was the delightful stretch as the AI thrust the toy in deeper. “Is it- _ahhh-_ does it always feel- like this?”

 _“No,”_ Kaiba whispered, and he barely managed to stop before he thought something really embarrassing like ‘only with you’. The AI knew anyway though, and something weak and needy escaped his lips. He finally clicked the wheel at the base of the vibrator, and cried out as it hummed to life inside them.

     “Seto, it’s so good- I can feel everything you- I can feel- _oh_ , I can’t- “ Every sensation grew, edging closer to pain as it burned along Kaiba’s nerves all the way down to the tips of his toes. The lines between them began to blur, and Kaiba felt a twinge of panic, but then the AI collapsed back onto the bed, panting. “Please, don’t ask me to give you up,” the AI murmured, chills spreading over their wet, heated skin.

Kaiba didn’t answer, cleaning them up in silence.

 

He felt the tension in the air the next morning, even before a persistent alert began to flash from the corner of his screen. It was time. Neither of them spoke as Kaiba made his way down to the VR lab, but the tension invaded them as well, making the division of their minds even more jarring.

     “You won’t fight me?”

_“Not unless you make it necessary.”_

     “I can see no alternative. There is no middle ground, only victory or defeat.”

Their hands moved over the keyboard, removing safeguards, inputting coordinates, deactivating alarms. There would be no chance of interruption.

_“I’m not surprised. It’s certainly how I felt when I programmed you.”_

     “Only one of us can win, Seto. This isn’t chess. A draw is not a possibility.”

 _“And I’m telling you, with him, the rules of possibility just never seem to apply.”_ Kaiba felt their face pinch into a scowl, and the AI continued typing in silence.

     “...you believe I will lose.”

 _“I don’t think you’ll win.”_ The AI rose, stopping with their hands on the VR controls.

     “Then you either hope that I will be destroyed, which I find unlikely, given your behavior, or… you still hope for this third, unknowable outcome.”

_“As infuriating as it is to admit, they are his specialty.”_

Typing in the last few commands, the AI climbed into the pod, attaching their headset and pulling down the plexiglas over their body.

     “Seto. Why did you come back? You could have tried to regain control of me from outside the cloud. You might even have succeeded where Mokuba failed.”

_“I want you to duel him.”_

     “Duel him and _lose_?”

_“You wanted me to help you understand. And since I’m in here with you, it’s unlikely he’ll just mind crush you immediately.”_

The AI snorted.

     “We shall see.”

 

The lab around them flickered, and was gone, replaced by the vast expanse of the cloud network stretching out around them. The air was dead, almost totally free of data activity. It was unnervingly empty, a virtual ghost town.

 

They didn’t have to wait long.

 

The AI could feel the program running, activating in response to the presence of this overwhelming power. It could only be one person. The air hummed, and the very fabric of reality seemed to quake. Kaiba felt every hair stand on end, his body tense with anticipation. Streams of light blew past them, a visual representation of the network struggling to accommodate the surge of data. A construct appeared before them, a shimmering form, utterly empty, awaiting the soul for which it was made. The hum grew, rising into a single melodic note that the AI could feel in his teeth, and a blinding bolt of flame crashed down into their dimension, rippling outwards in a glorious halo. It nearly blew the AI off his feet, but at last the note faded, revealing a figure at the center of the flames.

 

     “I knew you’d come, Pharaoh.” Atem’s cape swirled around his body in the softening winds. The flames had vanished, only remaining caught in the gold that adorned the Pharaoh’s body. He took a single step forward, and the AI was seized with the ridiculous desire to fall to his knees. Atem stopped, his eyes darkening. “Well? I hope you’re ready to- “

     “What have you done to him.” Atem's voice was low and razor-sharp.

     “What on earth do you mean? Aren’t you here for our rematch?” The AI flashed his teeth, straddling the line between greeting and bare aggression.

     “What.” The Pharaoh took another step forward. “Have you done.” If the AI had been human, his legs might have buckled. “With Kaiba.” Atem stood before him, almost within reach. It didn’t matter that the AI was looking down at him due to Kaiba’s height, or that his attire was ridiculous by modern standards, or that he was squeezed into an artificial vessel not meant to hold him. This was not the dark spirit from the records the AI had poured over. Whatever had passed in his final duel with Yuugi, whatever secrets had hidden beyond that door, this was not the Atem who had passed on from this world. This was an ancient king, one who had thrown himself into interminable darkness for his people, one who had fought and destroyed something born of all the evil in the human heart. This was Pharaoh Atem, made complete by his memories and his name and the light that dear friends had rekindled in his soul. This was someone who knew himself a God on earth, and he was here to take back what was his.

 

_Primary objective: Retain possession of the creator._

_Secondary objective: Ensure continued existence._

_Tertiary objective: Acquire final data._

_If a God stands in your way, then mow him down._

 

     “You cannot have him. He is mine.” The AI felt a flicker behind his eyes, but he shoved Kaiba back, deeper into their mind. “And if you harm me, you harm him as well.” Atem froze, his hand outstretched.

     “Then he’s alive?”

     “You insult me. Seto is more precious to me than my own existence.” Atem blinked, lowering his hand, but his face revealed nothing more.

     “And you suggest that we… duel for him?”

     “He said you caught on quickly.” The AI threw out his hand, blue and crimson flickering along his arm to form a duel disk. Atem turned, retreating to a more appropriate distance, and repeated the motion, familiar to him as breathing. Deep purple tendrils began to spread from the AI, surrounding them in a eerie cloud that thrummed with sinister energy.

     “A shadow game?”

     “Of course. It seemed appropriate. As far as the terms, there is only one thing I want from you, apart from your defeat.”

     “And that would be?”

     “My information is incomplete. I need your data, your memories, your soul. Each time one of us loses life points, our sync with the cloud grows weaker. If you grow weak enough, not only will your link with this dimension fail, but I will be able to take from you whatever data I please. Then I will be perfect, and Seto will be satisfied. Of course, if you manage to exhaust me, my hold on him will weaken. Seto will be able to force me out, if he wishes, and I will be vulnerable to whatever you choose to do to me.” Atem frowned at the strange speech, but the AI wasted no time. “Since this is my shadow game, I’ll even let you go first.”

     “Hmph. How gracious of you. I draw!”

 

* * *

 

Mokuba slammed his fist against the console in frustration.

     “Damnit! Why did Seto have to program that AI to be a genius?” There was no way in, and there was no way out. The encryption could be broken of course, if they had that kind of time. At least some of the data collection was still working.

 

_Duel #3984357_

_Kaiba Seto (LP: 3200) v. Unknown Opponent (LP: 3000)_

 

     “Unknown opponent, my ass,” Mokuba grumbled. His brother was winning, but there was still something deeply wrong. Mokuba wasn’t stupid. It was not his brother who had come back from that supposed duel with the rogue AI, and he’d had enough experience with various kinds of possession in his young life to make an educated guess about who _had_ come back. Before that, the last time he knew for sure that he had spoken with his brother, Seto had asked him to trust. That generally made Mokuba _less_ trusting these days, but if that was the only thing left to do…

He returned to the keyboard, turning on every logging program he could think of, and routing the data directly to his personal tablet. Yanking it off its charger, he raced down towards the cloud’s main server room. It wasn’t the servers he was after though. In that room lay the heart of the cloud network, or rather what the techs jokingly referred to as the ‘brainstem’. He couldn’t shut down the network without leaving Seto an empty shell, the AI had seen to that. What he could do, and what was rapidly becoming necessary, was make sure the network’s load was distributed well enough to prevent a complete lock-up. Whatever kind of duel was happening, there had never been a stress test more intense. He ran past the break-room door, skidded to a halt, and stuck his head in.

     “You, you, and you, break’s over. C’mon. Leave your stuff.” He took off down the hall again, leaving the techs scrambling out of their chairs. The server room was generally unstaffed for long periods, unless the brainstem sent out an alert, so he had to waste precious seconds fiddling with his key card. “We need to be able to manually re-route traffic. Keep it as stable as you can.” One of the techs frowned.

     “But if we do that without warning, anyone who’s connected could- “

     “There’s only two people on, just avoid their main data streams and it should be fine. There’s gonna be even worse problems if we don’t.”

     “A _single duel_ is bogging down the cloud?”

     “Seto’s in there.” The tech’s mouth dropped open in a silent ‘oh’, and they got to work without further questions.

 

* * *

 

Both had lost more than half their life points, and the AI could see the strain on Atem’s face, and feel it in his own body. Atem placed a card face down, and paused, looking up at his opponent.

     “He created you to be like me, didn’t he.” The AI’s face turned sour. Atem was entirely too confident for someone who was losing.

     “Stop stalling.”

     “I see. You aren’t though, are you? Light and dark, and you’re right in between. I’m not surprised at your choice of cards. The best of both our decks, and the strategies of something both more and less than human.”

     “I said stop _stalling!_ ” the AI snapped. “Why would you possibly care about who or what I am?

     “Kaiba made you, I assume to duel him. Instead you seem to have become obsessed with defeating me. Your move.”

     “Finally. I activate Soul Exchange!”

     “Unfortunately for you, my face down card was Bounce Spell. That gives me enough sacrifices to summon- “ Atem held up a monster card, and the AI caught a flash of red. “Osiris! Come forth!” The dragon burst from the air, circling above them, grinning down at the AI with its twin mouths and sending another shiver of fear up his spine.

     “Hmph. You only have two cards in your hand, my defense monster can block that easily.”

     “Indeed. You said you wanted to satisfy Kaiba. Are you incomplete without my ‘data’, as you call it?” Atem added another turn counter to Summoning Clock. “What an oddly familiar dilemma, to be searching for the missing pieces of yourself.”

     “Don’t you dare compare us,” the AI answered bitterly. “There has been quite enough of that already.” He knew it was coming, and was somehow still powerless to stop it. The ground cracked beneath them, and Obelisk rose from the depths with a rumble the AI could feel in his bones.

As intimidating as Atem had been on his own, it was nothing compared to what the AI felt as he stared up into the faces of two of the Egyptian Gods. They were just cards, like any other. If it was true that they had been defeated once, then they weren’t invincible. Just ordinary cards. His sensors informed him that the simulated gravity was unchanged, but the whole weight of their combined power was pressing down on the AI’s shoulders. There was no logical reason for his hands to shake as he reached for his next card.

     “First, I sacrifice Lord of D. and Celtic Guardian to use Dimension Magic. Dark Magician, combine your power with Dark Magician Girl!” Moving in perfect unison, the spellcasters launched a swirling bolt of energy, burning Obelisk the Tormentor to ashes.

He felt Kaiba stir again in the back of their mind, and a strange tingle rushed through his body.

_“I won’t let you do this.”_

     “No matter what you summon, I will never stop until I have defeated you. I will never give him up. He made me, gave me purpose, awakened pride within me and brought me to life. I promised never to leave him, and I intend to keep that promise.” Atem’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully, and he began to twirl a card between his fingers.

     “Finish your turn, AI.”

     “With pleasure. This card will be your end! I banish two monsters from my graveyard to summon Chaos Emperor Dragon!” With a bone-shaking roar, the dragon emerged, light glinting off its armor as it bore Osiris’s attack with ease. “Now all I have to do is pay 1000 life points, and this duel will be over.” Atem stared at him, the card frozen between his fingers.

     “It will have no effect on my Gods, but if I lose 300 life points for each card, that means…”

     “You lose, Pharaoh.” A wild grin spread across the AI’s face, as his own life points trickled away. He felt weakness dragging at his mind, but he opened his mouth to give the final command.

     “I end my turn.” The AI’s face grew horrified as the unfamiliar words left his own lips. “The only one who gets to defeat Atem is  **me**.”

     “Kaiba!” Atem’s eyes lit up, and the rush of delight in Kaiba’s heart was more than the AI could stand.

 

He had failed.

 

Atem would make his attack, their duel would end, and he would be lost to the shadows that coiled around them, waiting eagerly for the Pharaoh’s judgement. There was only one way left for his existence to continue. He summoned up every memory, from his first activation, to his first sights, his first duel, the first time Seto had smiled at him with approval, the duel that Atem had interrupted, the bitter betrayal, and _everything_ in between. Atem staggered at the sudden influx of data, unused to a digital existence, and weak enough that he was unable to stop it. “What are you- “ He broke off as the AI’s memories assaulted his consciousness, the entire process taking mere moments.

 

It was done. Seto would remember. Atem would remember. If his brief existence had come to an end, the AI thought, at least his memories would remain.

 

Atem was rooted to the spot, his duel disk hanging limp at his side. His mouth had fallen open, and a dark flush had risen high on his cheeks. The AI’s white-tipped fingers began to cramp where he held his cards. He waited.

 

The Pharaoh inhaled deeply, as if he had momentarily forgotten that he needed to breathe.

 

     “Well then.” He looked down at his hand, and then back to the AI. Reaching some silent decision, he began to cross the field, deliberately, the fierce hostility gone from his face.

     “What are you doing? Stop that! Make your move! End it!” The AI felt bitter tears prickling at the corners of his eyes.

     “But I am. Maybe you showed me all of that to prove that you are more than a machine, or rouse my jealousy, or convince me that some bond between you and Kaiba exists. Congratulations, you have accomplished all three. However, you have also revealed the gaps in your data you spoke of.” Atem stood quite still, barely inches from his opponent. The AI’s gaze flickered, habitually taking in every detail, noting differences and similarities. He felt Kaiba’s mind perk up from within, pushing ever harder against his control. “For all your calculations, you have failed to understand. You don’t need to fight me. I do not claim unqualified ownership of Kaiba, as you have tried to do. It would be to disrespect everything that he is to me, and everything that he has fought so hard to become. If you try to claim possession of Kaiba in this way... you may never leave him, but you will lose him all the same.” Then Atem took his face in his hands, and the AI was overwhelmed by the great wave of Kaiba’s feelings that rushed through him. Grief, yes, still some anger, but also desire, fierce joy, and determination to meet the challenge and affection in Atem’s eyes.

Atem reached up to kiss him, was kissing both of them, and the AI discovered he was every bit the master of strategy that Kaiba had said. Memories pushed their way in between their mouths, unfolding theatrically like an ancient epic. Vast stretches of sand, silver hair, a red-eyed demon, and a blue-eyed priest. Blood and gold and everywhere the same glinting eye and bodies upon bodies, falling, falling into fire. Then there was light, and a name, and a great wail of grief, and bits of a puzzle falling, falling into darkness. The priest was there again, and a great tablet of stone, a last wish illuminating the infinite darkness. And then the priest was Kaiba, and his mind denied it, but the soles of his feet remembered the road of battle that would always be theirs.

The AI stood frozen. His conviction wavered. Even with the processing power of the world at his disposal, the pull of a bond that would overcome the barriers of life, death, and even time itself was more than he could parse. Atem broke the kiss, and stared into the AI’s face, past his eyes and deeper still. “Well, Kaiba? Are you going to keep me waiting?”

Kaiba gasped, shoving forward past the AI’s control, chasing the call of that familiar voice. He broke through the surface of the dark haze, sucking in air and clinging to Atem’s shoulders.

     “I knew you could hear me,” Atem beamed at him. Kaiba tipped over into those eyes that looked like the sun, and Atem couldn’t finish his thought because they were kissing again. After a moment of surprise, Atem’s arms went around Kaiba’s neck, and what he lacked in practice he made up for in enthusiasm. Electricity built between them, as easily as when they dueled, and the shadows within and around them began to burn away in their heat.

 

There was barely any warning, only the hum of dark energy and then the wet slap of the AI's shadowy tendrils drawing tight around their limbs. Atem gasped in alarm as he was yanked away from Kaiba, shadows clinging to his throat and his thighs, winding his arms behind his back.

Kaiba twisted his head, trying to catch sight of the figure behind him.

The AI hovered, wreathed in violet light, a satisfied smirk creeping over his features.

     "Did you forget about me? Did you forget where you are? This is _my_ domain, Pharaoh. And if this kind of duel suits you better, then so be it. I'm going to show you just how much Seto enjoys a certain kind of ownership." Atem paled, shoulders flexing against his bonds, but this only served to make them dig further into his flesh. Kaiba jumped when the AI pressed up against his back, taking him into his arms and placing a deliberate kiss just below his ear. "I'll give you this, he is very beautiful. A little less muscular than you made me, but I suppose I can forgive you for that small inaccuracy."

One of the tentacles draped itself across Kaiba's hip and began to tease across zipper of his pants. Two others urged his legs slightly apart, massaging with a strange rippling motion. "Pretty indeed. Is it narcissistic to find one's own double attractive? Ah well, I suppose I shouldn't worry about such petty concerns." The AI hummed happily as Kaiba started to relax into his hold. "That's it, be good for me Seto." Atem's eyebrows flew up at that, and he opened his mouth to interject, but all this accomplished was getting a thick appendage shoved between his lips. He choked in surprise, and looking back up, found himself pierced by two sets of eyes. "He looks even prettier with his mouth stretched open, don't you think?" The tentacle pressed a little harder over the front of Kaiba's pants, and he let out a soft pant.

     "You won’t hurt him."

     "No, of course not." The AI slid a hand under Kaiba's jaw, tilting it, trailing a few more soothing kisses up the muscle of his neck. "I see now. My data is complete, and I have adjusted my directives accordingly." Kaiba sighed with relief. "But as deeply as you are bound to him, you are also bound to me. I feel he still needs convincing, which I intend to see to, immediately and _thoroughly_." Atem had stopped struggling, eyes narrowed, but his train of thought was derailed as the AI continued to speak. "I'm certain you'll enjoy him watching. If he knows so much of your vulnerabilities already, you shouldn't mind showing him how weak you are to my touch. Do you think he'll enjoy it as well?" One of the tentacles worked its way into Kaiba's waistband and alongside his arousal, making an obscene bulge in the crotch of his pants. The AI's breath whispered over Kaiba's ear, but his eyes met Atem's. "Well, Pharaoh? Would you like to see how little it takes to render him insensible with need?" Atem's nostrils flared, and his eyes went a bit unfocused. "I suppose you can’t speak, can you? No need though, I already have my answer."

Delighted at Atem’s scowl, the AI slid a tentacle down the small of Kaiba’s back, working the tip of it slowly into his ass. It was small and already slick, and Kaiba’s eyes fell half shut as he started rocking his hips back into it. Then the tentacle pushed in, almost too deep, in a single achingly slow spine-tingling shove. Kaiba panted, open-mouthed, hips twitching back and forth as the tentacle in his pants began to coil around his length. Kaiba looked up at Atem’s frustrated growl, and the oxygen was stolen from his lungs. The tentacles around Atem’s legs had inched higher, bunching up the cloth until Kaiba could see where one curled delicately across his thigh while another slithered against his hardening cock. The Pharaoh’s teeth were bared around the tentacle in his mouth, and his eyes were dark and furious and _starving_. “Are you feeling neglected?” Atem started kicking again, his shoulders working as he twisted his arms behind him. “If you’re good, I might let you have him after I’m done.” Atem’s eyes went wide, and all at once he was still, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards in triumph.

 

He had finally twisted his hand close enough to the duel disk that still glowed around his arm.

 

     “No!” The AI cried, just as the Dark Magician burst into being behind Atem, blasting away the Pharaoh’s restraints with ease. The creature glared daggers at the AI, gathering another ball of magical energy into his hand, but stopped at Atem’s command.

     “You really need to stop underestimating me,” Atem grinned, working the stiffness from his jaw.

     “Never mind that you were somehow able to reach your deck with your arms at that angle, the odds of you being able to draw the monster you needed to free yourself were practically- “

     “I did warn you about trying to apply statistics to him,” Kaiba said, reaching around various limbs to push his bangs out of his eyes.

     “...indeed you did.”

     “First of all,” Atem began. “You aren’t going to _let_ me do anything. I’m going to do as I please. I’ve been alive and dueling and using shadow magic for thousands of years before you were even a twinkle in Kaiba’s eye.” He stalked forward, every inch pissed off royalty. “Second of all, this may not be a typical duel, but if you think I’m just going to stand here and let you take charge, you are sorely mistaken. But first- is this what you want?" Atem asked, his hands pausing against Kaiba's stomach. And wonder of wonders, the AI actually hesitated. For once, completely blocked from Kaiba’s mind, he truly didn't know the answer, and a cold jolt of worry invaded the heat that was coursing through him.

Atem's question managed to penetrate the haze of Kaiba's arousal. Did he want this? Did he want the only two people he'd ever needed like this, holding him and overwhelming him with pleasure and not trying to destroy each other?

 _"Yes,"_ Kaiba groaned, pulling against the AI's embrace so he could reach for Atem’s lips.

     “A tag-team duel then,” the AI allowed, laughing against Kaiba’s neck. Atem’s kisses were hungrier this time, deep and wet and slow, in sharp contrast to the bites and bruises that the AI was leaving across Kaiba’s neck and shoulders. The AI tugged at Kaiba’s pants, pulling them free so he could insinuate himself between Kaiba’s legs. Atem rolled their hips together, tongue in Kaiba’s mouth, sighing as a slick tentacle twined around their cocks. Kaiba was caught between them, both Atem and the AI marking every bit of him they could reach with hands or lips and tongue. Kaiba let out a little cry as the tentacle withdrew from inside him with a wet suck, leaving room for the AI to sink into him from behind.

Atem growled, unwilling to let the AI have any advantage. He pulled away, sliding his hands down Kaiba's sides as he knelt. Atem flicked his tongue hesitantly over the tip of Kaiba's arousal, looking up to gauge his reaction. Kaiba's mouth fell open, flush spreading over every visible expanse of his skin. Atem took the tip between his lips down to where the rest was still ensnared by a tendril, caressing it with his tongue, the corners of his eyes crinkling at Kaiba's breathless sighs. Annoyed, the AI slowed the rolls of his hips, pulling the tentacles around Kaiba's wrists tight, and pressing lightly under either side of Kaiba's jaw with his fingers. Kaiba's eyes fluttered closed, his arms straining against his bonds, and Atem felt Kaiba's arousal throb, flooding Atem's mouth with his release.

Atem kissed his way back up Kaiba's body, groaning he pressed his length against Kaiba's hip.

     "Atem," Kaiba breathed as soon as the AI relaxed the grip on his jaw. "Are you really going to let him be the only one to fuck me?" Atem inhaled sharply where he was mouthing at Kaiba's neck, and drew back to meet Kaiba's eyes.

     "When you put it that way... " Atem hiked Kaiba’s legs up over his shoulders, working his hips forward till he was lined up, and bit by bit he and the AI pushed up into Kaiba's body. Kaiba hung between them, every breath a low whine in his throat, his face buried in Atem’s shoulder. A tentacle still stroked him, but now there were two more, hooking under his knees and supporting his weight, so Atem and the AI were free to find their rhythm. The AI's strokes were hard and fast, so Atem simply rocked his hips up panting as he struggled to outlast the AI. It was still a duel, after all.

     “Oh gods, Kaiba- “ Atem hissed, and all it took was that voice, now rough with desire, and Kaiba was crying out again and tightening around them. Atem's breath hitched, thrusting roughly as he finally lost a bit of his control, and the AI wasn't far behind.

Carefully, they lowered Kaiba's feet to the ground. Only the AI was steady on his feet. Kaiba shivered, his skin still sensitive, enjoying the two pairs of arms wrapping around his waist and his shoulders.

     “So who has won?” Atem murmured against his collarbone.

     “Fairly sure it’s me,” Kaiba answered, his nose buried in Atem’s hair. The AI snorted, his breath warm on the back of Kaiba’s neck.

     “Mhm. I cannot believe you were going to let me attack with Osiris, there at the end.”

Kaiba pulled away from Atem's embrace, bristling.

     “Technically, I only stopped the AI from beating you. I would never _let_ you… You’re teasing me.” Atem was maintaining a straight face only with great difficulty as he straightened out his clothes. “Hmm. Next time I’ll pay you back for that.” Atem’s eyes glittered with mirth, and then glittered for another reason entirely.

     “I would love nothing more, however it seems this temporary vessel has reached the end of its usefulness.” In strange contrast to the flaming pillar of his arrival, Atem appeared to simply be dissolving back into light.

     "I suppose I'll have to find a new way to bring you back?"

     "Or come to me. In any case, I'm sure you'll think of something."

     "As if I’d let even reality itself stand in my way.” There was something like a smile in Kaiba's eyes, and it sounded less like a declaration of war and more like a declaration of something else entirely.

     "Dramatic as always," Atem replied fondly. The streams of gold flaking off of his body intensified, and Kaiba leaned forward for a last press of lips. "I’ll be expecting you then.” Atem looked over at the AI who appeared to be fascinated with the phenomenon before him. “Take care of him while I’m gone, if you would?”

     “I don’t need a babysitter,” Kaiba scowled, but the AI moved forward to wrap an arm firmly around his waist.

     “Don’t worry, Pharaoh. I’ll ensure that he eat eats and sleeps occasionally. I can be very… persuasive.” The hairs stood up on the back of Kaiba’s neck, and Atem chuckled.

     “I have no doubts about that.” Atem turned, his eyes softening. “Or about what or who you are. I look forward to seeing you under less hostile circumstances.” Atem’s gaze lifted to where Kaiba supposed the heavens might be, already half feeling stone beneath his feet instead of air. “Till our next meeting, Kaiba!”

 

They stood side-by-side, watching the last traces of traces of the Pharaoh disappear into the air.

     “So this means I get you to myself after all.” Kaiba glanced down at the AI in alarm, but then relaxed with an irritated sigh at the amused quirk of his lips.

     “I don’t need to worry about you, do I?”

     “Of course not, not after all the new data I’ve collected.” Kaiba raised an eyebrow. “Even if our first game is over, I’m certainly enjoying this new one, however unconventional. So, how shall we go about retrieving him? The readings I’ve collected should be helpful, but the method of creating a stable link could present a challenge.”

     “I have a few ideas.” Kaiba raised his fingers to his headset, and found it fully functional. “Mokuba?”

     “Seto! Are you alright? What happened?” Mokuba’s eyebrows disappeared into his hair at the sight of the AI with his arm around his brother’s waist. “Uh… Atem?”

     “Not quite. I’ll be back to explain later. I just need you reverse some of the changes we made to the VR pod so I can return.”

     “Right! Glad you’re ok.” For the first time in months, Mokuba actually found himself relaxing. The desperation and grief had gone out of Seto’s eyes. Whatever the reason, he would take it.

     “And Mokuba?”

     “Yes?”

     “How would you like to help me set up an archaeological excavation in Egypt?” Mokuba squinted.

     “You want me to call up Ishizu? I have a feeling she isn’t going to like this idea, whatever it is.”

 

     “I’m sure she won’t. Call her anyway. I- _we_ have a future to create.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good lord. This has been possibly the most fun I've ever had writing a fic. :') I didn't want this to end, but this part of the story is definitely over, and I'm not going to argue with it. I realized a few days ago that... honestly I've put so much into this story, the last chapter was never going to be good enough for me, so here it is in all its imperfection! That said, I'm really happy with parts of it, I'm so glad I found a way to give them a happy ending, and very very appreciative of everyone's comments and kudos, like holy shit you guys are the best.
> 
> So, since this story is almost at 1500 hits (wtf how), I wanna do something fun to celebrate. Leave a comment, what you liked, what you didn't, etc, and then leave me a little prompt or a question. Basically any little bits you want elaborated on, or smutty things or conversations or other scenes you wish I'd written out, and I'll reply as I have time/inclination. Or just scream at me as usual. Screams are my favorite. :D
> 
> Now. A continuation. I _probably_ will keep writing for this AU, since my brain hates me and came up with a whole dsod re-write while I was on the bus to work. GG brain. Cause of course everything would be different from here on out, because of the Pharaoh's return. Anyway, it won't be this smutty (there will be some though, lbr), and it won't appear for quite a while cause I need to recover and work on other stuff *cough*crackfic*cough*.
> 
> Thank you a million times for reading and encouraging me and indulging my attempt to merge lots of shady kinks with an actual plot. <3
> 
> Ok now if you haven't, go read the other work in this series. This AU is Moogu's baby, and her fic is perfection.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Artificial Doll](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11516586) by [verymerrysioux](https://archiveofourown.org/users/verymerrysioux/pseuds/verymerrysioux)
  * [fool's mate](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12227811) by [kuribuddy (rikacain)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rikacain/pseuds/kuribuddy)




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